Not Afraid of Flavor

Ben and Karen Barker / Photographs by Ann Hawthorne / Durham, NC

Since opening their Durham, North Carolina, restaurant in 1986, chefs Ben and Karen Barker have been hailed as rising stars of the American culinary scene. Their award-winning Magnolia Grill has been featured in publications such as Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, the New York Times, and Southern Living. With a menu that changes daily and draws inspiration from fresh, often locally produced ingredients, the restaurant is the ultimate showcase for the bold, imaginative cuisine that embodies the Barkers' motto, Not Afraid of Flavor.

From spectacular soups to inventive updates of classic American desserts, this beautifully illustrated book features more than 125 exciting recipes from Magnolia Grill. While not strictly Southern, many of the dishes display a Southern sensibility--making creative use of regional ingredients or offering a new twist on a familiar favorite. Clear, detailed directions encourage readers to try such "fearless" creations as okra rellenos, spicy green tomato soup with crab and country ham, pan-roasted duck breast with sun-dried cherry conserve, striped bass with oyster stew, wild mushroom bread pudding, brown sugar pear poundcake, and Jack Daniels vanilla ice cream.

Ben and Karen Barker are the chef-owners of Magnolia Grill in Durham, North Carolina. Ben was named Best Chef in the Southeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2000. Karen is the 2003 winner of the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Pastry Chef Award and the 1999 winner of Bon Appétit's American Food and Entertaining Award for Best Pastry Chef. Before opening Magnolia Grill, the Barkers, who live in Chapel Hill, NC, were chefs at Restaurant La Residence and the nationally acclaimed Fearrington House.