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    Big Bad Breakfast: The Most Important Book of the Day

    by John Currence

    Hardcover

    $30.00
    $30.00

    Temporarily Out of Stock Online

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    • ISBN-13: 9781607747369
    • Publisher: Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale
    • Publication date: 09/13/2016
    • Pages: 272
    • Sales rank: 210,588
    • Product dimensions: 6.50(w) x 1.50(h) x 9.50(d)

    Chef John Currence's humble beginnings began in his home in New Orleans Louisiana where his family loved to cook and spend time in the kitchen. He moved to Oxford, Mississippi, and opened City Grocery in 1992. Since then, the City Grocery Restaurant Group has had a number of openings, including Nacho Mama's, Kalo's, Ajax Diner, City Grocery Catering Company, Bouré, Big Bad Breakfast, and Snackbar. In addition to the City Grocery Restaurant Group's success, he has served as chairman and president of the Mississippi Restaurant Association and president of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. He is also a contributing editor for Garden & Gun and is an active volunteer with St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Other projects include the Adventures of The Big Bad Chef video series. He is an avid hunter and fisherman and lives in Oxford with his wife and daugher.

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    THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF BREAKFAST

       1. THOU SHALT EMBRACETH THE DAY.
    First, accept that every day is new, fresh, and unique. Position yourself in the kitchen with an attitude that reflects your solemn purpose: you are about to prepare THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY, likely for someone you care for (otherwise you would not be up and at ’em at the stove). 

       2. THOU SHALT HOLD NO MEAL HIGHER THAN BREAKFAST.
    Commit to raising this disregarded meal from the depths of neglect to the place of honor it deserves. Pledge to put the same effort and passion into preparing breakfast as you would lunch or dinner. In other words, make something other than just a plate of eggs. 

       3. THOU SHALT GET THY MIND RIGHT.
    This is fun, damn it. Plan ahead so you don’t stress yourself out early in the morning: shop the day before, stock strong coffee, prep certain items in advance, and find some music that gets you going in the wee hours. All of these will make the chore at hand a little easier. 

       4. THOU SHALT SLATHER WITH BUTTER.
    It will not kill you (consumed in quantities within reason, that is). Just let go for a few minutes and enjoy life a little. No fat tastes better on toast with jelly or when cooking eggs (bacon fat included). 

       5. THOU SHALT ANOINTETH WITH BLACK PEPPER.
    Whenever pepper is called for in an ingredients list, use freshly cracked black pepper. (The only exception is when I specifically call for white pepper.) 

       6. THOU SHALT MAKE FROM SCRATCH.
    It will certainly take more time and effort, but the essence of Big Bad Breakfast is scratch cooking. It’s what made grandmother’s cooking “grandmother’s cooking.” As a matter of fact, I am certain that if my grandmothers and great-grandmothers had not succumbed to other, more natural afflictions, shame over what we accept as food these days would certainly have consumed each of them. 

       7. THOU SHALT USE RESTRAINT WITH INGREDIENTS.
    Lots of folks get the wrong idea about recipes and lean toward “the more flavors and ingredients I add, the more complex the end product.” This could not be farther from the truth. The best cooking celebrates the elemental beauty of ingredients. You want to be able to taste everything in the dish, not create something that is just a muddle. 

       8. THOU SHALT SEEKETH LOCAL WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
    Honey, eggs, grits, bacon, sausage, jellies, coffee, flour—whatever it is, a local product is more often than not going to have a more singular character. Visit farmers’ markets, bake sales, local farms, and locally owned grocery stores. 

       9. THOU SHALT NOT OVERCOOK.
    I am fascinated with the American worry about “undercooking things.” Food can always be cooked more if it is not cooked enough, but YOU CAN’T FUCKING UNCOOK IT if you cook it too long. Granted, we shouldn’t rub raw factory chicken on our toast right before we eat, but I have been making fresh mayonnaise and Caesar dressing with raw eggs for thirty-five years and nobody has ever been sick. Trichinosis is not carried by domestic pigs, and a piece of cooked pork that’s still a little pink beats the crap out of a well-done, dried-out offering. Try the yolk runny, people. With a little salt, it transforms dishes from good to resplendent. 

       10. THOU SHALT REMEMBER THE SABBATH, BUT COOK FROM THIS BOOK EVERY DAY.
    You can make pancakes for your kids, freeze them, and rewarm them later. You can make a breakfast casserole or assemble sweet rolls the night before and just turn on the oven the next day. Breakfast is a fun meal, and most of the time, it doesn’t require a ton of effort or mess. More often than not, it’s just about clearing your eyes and committing to loved ones. Remember, breakfast is a joy, not a chore, and the possibilities are endless. It just comes at a weird time of day. And if that’s the deal breaker for you, well, shit, make breakfast for dinner.

    Table of Contents

    Acknowledgments ix

    Foreword John Besh xi

    Foreword David Chang xii

    Introduction 1

    Chapter 1 The Welcome Basket 6

    Sausage Cinnamon Rolls 9

    Buttermilk Cake Doughnuts 10

    Banana Pecan Coffee Cake 13

    Sourdough English Muffins 14

    Dried Fig Calas 16

    Honey Buns 18

    Blueberry Muffin Tops 19

    Rum Raisin and Orange Scones 21

    Monkey Bread 22

    Baked Cornmeal and Buttermilk Doughnuts 24

    Chapter 2 The Incredible, Edible, Omnipresent Egg 26

    Fried Eggs Master Recipe 30

    Scrambled Eggs Master Recipe 31

    Poached Eggs Master Recipe 31

    Big Bad Breakfast Egg Bake 32

    "Broiled" Tomato Benedict 35

    North Mississippi Eggs Benedict 37

    Big Bad Breakfast Quesadilla 38

    Louisiana Crab Cake Benedict 40

    Chorizo Migas 43

    Double-Boiled Eggs with Black Truffle 45

    Shrimp Breakfast Enchiladas 46

    "Double Oyster" Hangtown Fry 48

    Summer Vegetable Quiche 51

    Tugboat Galley Eggs and Dirty Rice 52

    Eggs Sardou 55

    Spicy Boudin and Poached Eggs 57

    Hillbilly Eggs Hussarde 61

    Shakshouka 62

    Chapter 3 Omelets and Frittatas 64

    French-Style Omelet Master Recipe 66

    American-Style Omelet Master Recipe 66

    French Omelet with Gruyère, Asparagus, and American Bacon 68

    Big Bad Breakfast Chili and Cheese Omelet 71

    The "J.Y.D." An American Omelet 73

    Pepper and Chorizo Frittata 74

    Roasted Potato and Adobo Frittata 77

    Open-Faced Stewed Okra and Tomato Fritt-Omelet with Swiss Cheese 79

    Herbolace, aka the Original Fines Herbes Omelet 83

    Shrimp and Bacon Omelet with Soft Cheese and Pesto 84

    Shrimp Fried Rice Omurice 85

    Low Country Cast-iron Skillet Scramble 87

    Creole Skillet Scramble 91

    Roasted Mushroom Skillet Scramble 92

    Yard Work Skillet Scramble 93

    Chapter 4 Pancakes, Waffles, Crepes and other Things "Bready" 94

    Silver Dollar and Short Stack Buttermilk Pancakes 96

    Belgian Waffles 98

    Peanut Butter and Banana Pancakes 99

    Shrimp and Pickled Onion Crepes with Mornay 101

    Multigrain Pancakes 103

    Hoecakes 104

    Toasted Oatmeal Pancakes 107

    Fresh Corn Arepas 108

    Mamie's Favorite French Toast 109

    Brioche French Toast 110

    German Pancake 113

    Big Bad Breakfast Pain Perdu 114

    Homemade Pop-Tarts 115

    Chapter 5 BFO: Breakfast for Dinner (and Vice Versa) 118

    Shrimp and Grits 121

    Bruléed Grapefruit 122

    Breakfast "Succot-hash" 124

    Shrimp Gravy Biscuit Sundae 125

    Crawfish Cakes 127

    The Pylon 129

    Roasted Tomato Cobbler 130

    Crawfish Étouffée 132

    Sautéed Trout, Soft Scrambled Eggs, Chanterelle Mushrooms 134

    Oyster "Potpie" 137

    Pork Tenderloin 662 with Crabmeat and Pecan Butter 138

    Creamed "Chipped" Mushrooms on Toast 140

    The Egg Bowl 143

    Huevos Cocineros 144

    Chapter 6 Cereals, Grains, and Other Pseudo-Virtuous Things 146

    Homemade Vanilla and Double Almond Granola 148

    Cinnamon and Citrus Oatmeal with Dried Black Mission Figs 150

    Homemade Frosted Cornflakes 151

    Homemade Grape-Nuts and Fruit Parfait 152

    Grits and Collard Soufflé 155

    Italian Sausage, Spinach, Hominy "Risotto" 156

    Pork Posole 159

    Creamed Toasted Barley with Nuts and Dried Fruit 160

    Homemade Crispy Rice "Elvis" Treats 161

    Chapter 7 Breakfast Sandwiches 162

    Fried Chicken Cathead 164

    With Signs Following 167

    Monte Cristo 168

    Mountey Crisco 169

    Egg and Rice Burrito 171

    Chicken Sausage Pancake Sandwich 172

    Breakfast Croque Monsieur 174

    Grilled Ham and Pimento Cheese Sandwich 176

    Country Ham Egg Muffin 177

    Egg Salad 179

    Chapter 8 Sides, Condiments, Meats, and Extras 180

    Black Pepper Buttermilk Biscuits 183

    Garlic Cheese Grits 187

    Cayenne Pepper Sauce 188

    Louisiana Satsuma Jelly 189

    Black Pepper Honey 191

    Spicy Bacon Onion Jam 192

    Fig Preserves 195

    Pontchatoula Strawberry Jam 196

    Red-Eye Gravy 198

    Sausage Gravy 199

    Tomato Gravy 201

    Saucy Black Beans 202

    Pimento Cheese 204

    Mayonnaise 205

    Strawberry Cream Cheese 206

    Apple Butter 207

    Raspberry Butter 208

    Blackberry Mascarpone 210

    Comeback Sauce 211

    Breakfast Sausage 213

    Chicken Sausage 214

    Chorizo 215

    Livermush 217

    Gravlax (Lox) 218

    Chapter 9 Eye-Openers 220

    Grapefruit Mimosa 223

    Michelada and a Shot 224

    Ojen Frappé 227

    Big Bad Breakfast Bloody Mary 228

    The Idiot's Champagne Cocktail 229

    Bloody Bull Shot 230

    Advantage: Connors Celery Soda 233

    Eggnog 234

    Dad's Milk Shake 237

    Peach Lassi 238

    Uptown Express 241

    Decatur Street Gutter Punk 242

    11:00 a.m. Kickoff 243

    Falling Down Brown Cow 245

    Donkey Punch 246

    The Vacation Wife 248

    About the Author 251

    Index 253

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    .

    From the acclaimed author of Pickles, Pigs, and Whiskey comes this fun, festive, and highly caffeinated ode to the joys and rituals of the Southern breakfast.

    Chef John Currence is one of the most celebrated and well-loved chefs in the South. Among his string of highly successful restaurants in Oxford, Mississippi, Big Bad Breakfast holds a special place in diners hearts: It is a gathering place where people from all walks come together to share the most important meal of the day, breakfast. Southerners know how to do breakfast right, and Chef Currence has elevated it to an artform: dishes like Banana-Pecan Coffee Cake, Spicy Boudin and Poached Eggs, and Oyster Pot Pie are comforting, soulful, and packed with real Southern flavor. Big Bad Breakfast is full of delicious recipes that will make the day ahead that much better—not to mention stories of the wonderful characters who fill the restaurant every morning, and a meditation on why the Southern breakfast is one of America's most valuable culinary contributions.

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    Publishers Weekly
    06/06/2016
    If the title is not enough of a hint, the very first recipe in this mega-hearty Southern-style collection tells you all you need to know about what chef Currence has in mind: it’s sausage cinnamon rolls, a salty-sweet belly bomb topped with cream cheese icing. Big Bad Breakfast is also the name of a Currence restaurant, one of six he oversees in Oxford, Miss. Though Currence later settled in Mississippi, his New Orleans upbringing is evident throughout the 75 recipes presented here. Across nine chapters, covering everything including omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and morning cocktails, Currence brings on the flavor and forgoes the calorie count, with choices such as a Creole skillet scramble, a cheese-and-fried-chicken biscuit, and the Decatur Street gutter punk, with equal parts gin, heavy cream, and espresso. The section on pancakes offers two extremes side-by-side: peanut butter and banana pancakes, and shrimp and pickled onion crepes. Perhaps the ultimate gastronomic collision, though, comes in the Breakfast for Dinner chapter, in the form of a meal called the pylon (for pile on). It’s a Belgian waffle, topped with hot dogs, chili, sweet slaw, cheddar, and a squadron of condiments. As filling as the foodstuffs, the pages themselves feel stuffed, with ingredient lists, directions, and the chef’s entertaining stories all thrown together. This approach leaves room for the irresistible full-page color close-ups of each dish from photographer Ed Anderson. (Sept.)
    From the Publisher
    Big Bad Breakfast is a book you’ll want to read from front to back. John’s humorous stories, from both in and out of the kitchen, plus his approachable Southern-style breakfast recipes, make this a killer cookbook that is not to be missed.”
    – Emeril Lagasse

    “I am not a breakfast person, yet no food memory will live up to my experience at Big Bad Breakfast. I was in desperate need of comfort (from a hangover and a long flight), sustenance (when you’re in the South, your belly knows it must be fed), and warmth (okay, maybe I’m being dramatic), and Big Bad Breakfast delivered. Was it the sweet, savory, gooey Sausage Cinnamon Rolls or the deeply dirty and delicious waffle-topped Pylon? Or maybe it was the indescribable power of true Southern hospitality. I revel in that meal, and any meal with John at the helm.”
    – Christina Tosi, chef-owner of Milk Bar and author of Momofuku Milk Bar
     
    “They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. With Big Bad Breakfast, John gives you 137 reasons why that’s true, and shows you that breakfast is not only the most important, but also the most delicious meal of the day. Get ready for some of the best breakfast foods you’ve ever had.”
    – Aarón Sánchez, chef-partner of Johnny Sánchez and costar of Chopped

    “Mr. Currence won a James Beard award in 2009 for best Southern chef, and it’s possible to eat brilliantly in Oxford for weeks, without repeating a course, in his restaurants alone. In fact I’d recommend this experience . . . . He’s pushing the notions of what Southern food can be, pulling off impressive feats with a casual air of embarrassment.”
    – New York Times

    “Venerable food writer John T. Edge once told us we couldn’t leave Oxford without stopping by Big Bad Breakfast—and boy, are we glad we listened to him. Chef John Currence is a great cook with a lot of soul.”
    – Serious Eats

    "Chef-ruler of Oxford, Mississippi, John Currence is here to make the case for breakfast. With recipes from the restaurant that gives this book its title, Big Bad Breakfast offers a vision of mornings spent with Southern heavyweights like oyster pot pie and banana-pecan coffee cake. If you love Eater's Breakfast Week, biscuits, the idea of cinnamon rolls baked with sausage filling, and/or restaurant cookbooks that actually seem cookable, this one's for you."
    - EATER NATIONAL

    "If you’re the sort of person who gravitates toward diners, whose favorite restaurants serve breakfast all day (we are not talking about McDonald’s), who makes breakfast for dinner at home and whose idea of a good time is making frosted flakes from scratch, then here’s a cookbook for you. Big Bad Breakfast is the new book from John Currence, and it’s a big, bad book of a cookbook. . . . Ed Anderson’s hunger-inducing photography includes repeating plates of pancakes, lots of cast-iron skillets and eggs in various compositions, pouring coffee, Elvis Presley tapestries, biscuit step-by-steps, shots of a baseball-hatted Currence at work in the kitchen or bellied up to a crowded counter. Flip through all this, read the chatty anecdotes (in praise of MSG, the emu egg in the parking lot), and the handy tips from someone who’s worked in many kitchens, both other people’s and his own, and you get a growing sense of comfort — and that’s not just because many of the recipes are for comfort food."
    - LOS ANGELES TIMES

    "This is a book that earns a spot on your shelf. It is a cookbook of substance, put together with care. Currence has things to teach us: the amount of knowledge on eggs alone is worth the price of the book, ditto the biscuits."
    - LUCKY PEACH

     

    Library Journal
    ★ 08/01/2016
    James Beard Award-winning chef Currence (Pickles, Pigs, and Whiskey) owns several acclaimed restaurants in Oxford, MS, including City Grocery and Big Bad Breakfast. Recipes inspired by the latter establishment fill this exciting new collection, which features substantial dishes such as sausage cinnamon rolls, roasted potato and adobo frittata, Louisiana crab cake Benedict, and "The Pylon" (a Belgian waffle topped with hot dogs, chili, oyster crackers, and more). There are some basics—such as black pepper honey and fried eggs—but these are far outnumbered by creative entrees, sides, condiments, and beverages. Similiar to Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth's Breakfast for Dinner, this cookbook works for any time of day. VERDICT Essential for those who love hosting hearty breakfasts and brunches.

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