The Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook

The Hot and Hot Fish Club Restaurant in Birmingham, AL is driven by a simple philosophy: foods eaten so close to their source, prepared in a fashion that allows their pure, unadulterated flavors to shine, is the key to the meal’s success. Because of that simple winning understanding, owners Chris and Idie Hastings’ restaurant has become widely known one of the best in the South. They insist the food is uncomplicated and unassuming because they want their guests to experience the glory of tasting a locally sourced heirloom tomato or the slice of cheese made with milk from a nearby dairy farmer, or the blackberries and Vidalia onions from local Garfrerick Farms of Alpine, Alabama, Hot and Hot Fish Club goes to great lengths to make sure that what goes into every dish is always fresh and in season, and in short…magical.

THE HOT AND HOT FISH CLUB COOKBOOK (Running Press Books, October 2009, $35) is as much a work of passion for Chris and Idie as their restaurant and their home life are. Far more than a recipe book, the pages offer a glimpse of the authors home and work life on a month-by- month basis and how they gather at the table with family and friends to celebrate the passing seasons.

“Seasonality is the cornerstone to our menu-planning success,” says Chef Chris Hastings and the book contains more than 200 creative and delicious recipes that are organized into two-month chapters to reflect the seasonal nature of local ingredients.

Some of the recipes readers will find include:
Grouper with Tomato, Avocado and Grilled Vidalia Onions, with Basil-Lime Vinaigrette
Oven-Roasted Duck Breast on Crawfish Risotto with Spicy Ham Hock Broth
Hot and Hot Tomato Salad
Southern Bouillabaisse
Smoked and Grilled Quail with Winter Vegetables and White BBQ Sauce
Raspberry and White Chocolate Bread Pudding

In addition to the mouthwatering recipes and wonderful anecdotes and stories from the Hastings’ personal history, it also includes the profiles of dozens of purveyors who supply the restaurant with the freshest ingredients, and numerous how-to tips from grilling fish to roasting the pig.

With more than 50 full-color photographs, lifestyle menus complete with cocktail, wine and beer pairings, and an expertly researched sourcing section, THE HOT AND HOT FISH CLUB COOKBOOK is your guide to preparing exquisite, fresh cuisine from one of the most celebrated and successful restaurants in the South. Add a little magic into your own cooking.

Chris Hastings graduated from the Johnson & Wales Culinary School in Providence in 1984. After graduating he worked for Frank Stitt as Chef D’ Cuisine of Highlands Bar and Grill and helped launch the opening of Bottega. In 1989 he helped Bradley Ogden launch the Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, California. He was nominated for James Beard’s Best Chef in the South award in 2007 and 2008. Idie Hastings attended the California Culinary Academy and worked at Jeremiah Towers’ famed Stars Café and Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio. She honed her skills as a baker at Patisserie Francaise. In 1995, the Hastings returned to the South and opened the Hot and Hot Fish Club. In 1998 they received the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence and since then have been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, and Food and Wine. Idie and Chris live in Birmingham with their two sons. Please visit them at www.hotandhotfishclub.com.

HOT AND HOT FISH CLUB COOKBOOK
By Chris and Idie Hastings
Running Press Books
October 2009
$35.00/hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-7624-3552-4