Chef Edward Lee's story and his food could only happen in America. Raised in Brooklyn by a family of Korean immigrants, he eventually settled down in his adopted hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, where he owns the acclaimed restaurant 610 Magnolia. A multiple James Beard Award nominee for his unique patchwork cuisine, Edward creates recipes--filled with pickling, fermenting, frying, curing, and smoking--that reflect the overlapping flavors and techniques that led this Korean-American boy to feel right at home in the South. Dishes like Chicken-Fried Pork Steak with Ramen Crust and Buttermilk Pepper Gravy; Collards and Kimchi; Braised Beef Kalbi with Soft Grits and Scallions; and Miso-Smothered Chicken all share a place on his table. Born with the storytelling gene of a true Southerner, Lee fills his debut cookbook with tales of the restaurant world, New York City, Kentucky, and his time competing on Top Chef, plus more than 130 exceptional recipes for food with Korean roots and Southern soul. Edward Lee is the chef/owner of 610 Magnolia and Nami in Louisville, Kentucky, and the culinary director for Succotash Restaurants in Washington, DC, and Maryland, for which he was awarded a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide. He is also the cofounder of the LEE Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to diversity and equality in the restaurant industry. He operates the non-profit restaurant M. Frances in Washington, DC, as part of the LEE Initiative's overall mission. He was awarded the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award in 2021. Chef Lee was the recipient of the 2019 James Beard Foundation Award for his book Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef's Journey to Discover America's New Melting Pot Cuisine. His first book was Smoke & Pickles. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his role as host of the Emmy-winning PBS series TheMind of a Chef. He has hosted and written a feature documentary called Fermented. "Edward Lee is one of America's most important young chefs-and what he has to say with his delicious food and in the pages of this book will help redefine American food as a whole. Better start reading and start cooking. The future is here." -Anthony Bourdain "I'm officially and unabashedly in love with Chef Edward Lee's Smoke Pickles! Full of thoughtful storytelling and plenty of seasoning, it satisfies all my cravings for hearty, flavorful food that's as soulful and introspective as it is celebratory." -Gail Simmons "Delicious American food. It's quite simple: Edward Lee cooks the food I want to eat." -David Chang "Full of more smarts, playfulness, and soulfulness than any cookbook I've read in a long, long time." -John T. Edge -Publishers Weekly "Lee's debut cookbook is an inventive and exciting take on Southern food inspired by the chef's Korean roots. . . . Recipes are combined with entertaining stories of Lee's life and culinary journey. . . . An irresistible collection for any adventurous home cook." -Publishers Weekly, starred review-NY Daily News "Inspired, sophisticated. . . . This book is likely to leave you feeling very hungry and never bored." -New York Daily News-Country Living "A symphony of delectable contradictions." -Country Living-SouthernLiving.com "Smoke Pickles exemplifies why, in 10 short years, [Edward Lee has] become one of our favorite chefs. Between the strength of his recipes and his natural knack for storytelling, we've dog-eared the bejeezus out of this book already." -SouthernLiving.com-Austin Chronicle "Comforting soul food massaged with Korean spice and garlic. . . . A very tasty blend of cultures." -Austin Chronicle-Houston Chronicle "A lively and endearing story. . . . Lee's pickle recipes are a joy because they don't require canning. . . . So let the pleasure begin." -Houston Chronicle-TheKitchn "Fascinating. If you're a bedtime cookbook reader, this o