I just read through Suzanne Vizethann’s new book, Welcome to Buttermilk Kitchen (2020, Gibbs Smith, $30.00), and I look forward to my next visit to Atlanta so I can experience her cuisine and hospitality in situ. No pretense. No hype. No hipster valet. No pretentious unmatched china. “You feel like you are about to eat at a friend’s house.” What more could anyone want?
I accepted this review copy from publisher Gibbs Smith and happily have read and cooked from the book. All opinions herein are mine, and I was not asked nor required to write a positive review.
Suzanne Vizethann, a.k.a. Mrs. Buttermilk, is deeply rooted in her native South; she was born and bred in Atlanta, Georgia. Her sense of the South is palpable on each page, with each recipe, even when she veers away from Southern tradition and gives us something new, creative, and amazingly delicious.
This cookbook is for breakfast, brunch, and lunch aficionados. (The eponymous restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8:00-2:00pm.) It is filled with more than 100 recipes with beautiful photographs by Angie Mosier; each page is elegantly designed and easy to read.
Following the introduction, which includes Vizethann’s pantry basics and her kitchen equipment list, the book is divided into ten recipe sections: Staples; Biscuits; The Chicken Biscuit (a house specialty); Pimento Cheese; From the Griddle; Classics (which includes some new classics); Sides and Snacks; Pastries and Desserts; Leftovers; and Drinks.
Naturally, I started with my favorite section… Pastries and Desserts. For today’s post I was inspired to make her Vanilla Wafers. They are pretty amazing, I must say. The recipe follows with a few notes from me regarding butter weight, shaping the cookies, and baking time. In addition to serving them plain, I did make a few sandwich versions with chocolate ganache… heaven.
By the time I finished the book, I felt I knew Vizethann and that we were fast friends. I enjoyed the feeling of comfort throughout, the ease in reading and cooking, and her subtle sense of humor. “Store them in an airtight container before you eat them all!” Wise counsel about those vanilla wafers!
You get many traditional recipes like homemade butter and buttermilk, biscuits, pancakes, jams, pickles, spreads, egg dishes, and beverages—each with its own twist. They are mixed with the more creative Biscuit Croutons, Honey-Lavender Butter, Mole Chicken Biscuit, Fried Pickled Green Tomato Melt, Rye Whiskey Maple Syrup, The Waffle Burger, Coconut Curry Kale Greens, Chocolate Churro Bites, and fun drinks like her Milky Way Cold Brew.
In addition to the cookies, I also made her House Pickles—a zingy step up from the traditional bread ‘n’ butter pickles—flavored with fennel, mustard, turmeric, peppercorns, and a healthy dose of red pepper flakes.
Is the book perfect? No. In a sense, no cookbook is perfect, and no recipe writer is perfect, either! We, as cooks and chefs, take small things for granted and forget to include them when writing up recipes. It’s not intentional; it just happens, such as in the pickle recipe. After following the instruction to weight down the cuke slices in brine with a plate, a bit of instruction is missing. How long should they be submerged? Are we to let them cool (submerged before transferring to a jar? Should it be done warm? I cooled mine submerged for a full hour before removing them to a storage jar. Was that the intention? I’ll never know. Omissions like this are minor, but a novice cook might not know what to do.
A final note (pun intended): Music is important to Vizethann and she carefully curates her playlists to match the ambiance she creates for her diners. As part of her introduction, she offers three playlists: Spandex Mix from the 80s, Soul Mix, and a fantastic Reggae Mix—all very fun and fitting for her restaurant. Normally, I am not a fan of music in restaurants. Face it, I am old and can’t hear as well as I used to, and I generally go to restaurants to converse with my friends. But, if the music cleverly matches the food and ambiance (and isn’t too loud), I can really enjoy it as it enhances my experience—which is exactly what she has done here. I applaud her for thinking about every aspect of the dining (and cooking) experience.
If you are interested in some wonderful and creative Southern cooking for breakfast, brunch, of even dinner, this cookbook is for you. Pop on one of her playlists, grab a bowl, some flour, butter, sugar, and—of course—buttermilk, and get started.
~ David
Suzanne Vizethann, Welcome to Buttermilk Kitchen
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John / Kitchen Riffs
June 13, 2020 at 7:53 amI’m not a big fan of music in restaurants, either. Or loud restaurants — I share your predicament re noisy places. (Getting older — old! — is largely a really, really good thing, but there are downsides.) But music done right can certainly enhance the experience. Sounds like Buttermilk Kitchen does it right. And it sounds like an interesting restaurant and cookbook. Certainly this recipe looks good. I don’t think I’ve ever made vanilla wafers. Now I want to. 🙂
Gerlinde
June 13, 2020 at 8:13 amI am with you and John, often it’s so noisy in a restaurant that I can’t have a conversation. I guess it’s part of being old. Those are my kind of cookies David and I enjoy reading your weekly posts. I’m in the process of packing my kitchen for partial remodel so I won’t be cooking for a while.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 14, 2020 at 3:57 pmWe used to choose our restaurant by the quality of the food, and now it is all about “can we hear each other from across the table?” I hate being a grumpy old man. But there you have it… The vanilla wafers? They are excellent… You should make them!
Jill Becker
June 13, 2020 at 3:56 pmI need this cookbook!!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 14, 2020 at 3:57 pmYou never know… 😊
Christina Conte
June 13, 2020 at 5:10 pmLooks like a lovely cookbook! Those wafers are splendidly simple, which means they must be good! Makes me think of the banana pudding I had when I was stuck in Charlotte a few years ago and decided to make lemonade out of lemons by going for barbecue. The waitress practically forced us to try the banana pudding (I’m not a banana fan in my desserts, most of the time), but I was SO glad she did! I bet Suzanne may have included a recipe in Buttermilk Kitchen!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 14, 2020 at 3:59 pmSadly, no recipe within for banana pudding but I found plenty online! Can’t wait to try it — means making at least one more batch of these babies!
Eha
June 13, 2020 at 6:37 pm*big smile* Love buttermilk. Do not eat desserts. Do not bake as a rule. Do not like loud music or talking in restaurants. In this instance accept being called a ‘wet blanket’ ! But the book also does deal with matters green, even green tomatoes . . . so shall go talk to Mr Google . . . and do like the look of your cookies . . . Meanwhile hope the fires in the Catalinas about which I am reading are not impacting on your environment and home . . . be well . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
June 14, 2020 at 4:01 pmAh, the fires… they rage on in all different directions… must be real déjà vu, for you.
I — being a dessert lover — just don’t get the concept of “no desserts .” But, as I always say, more for me.
2pots2cook
June 14, 2020 at 12:42 amBefore I started to write this one, you made me think if I enjoy quiet or loud places … somehow, our quiet places turn into loud ones step by step; it seems we relax as time passes or perhaps it has to do with wine , who could tell 🙂
To support the writer, pinned your book photo.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 14, 2020 at 4:02 pmThanks, Davorka — you are so kind. I definitely prefer quiet places — probably one of the reasons I like dining at home, whether it’s just us two or us with friends.
Andrea@thekitchenlioness
June 14, 2020 at 1:47 amDear David, that sounds like a wonderful cookbook. And the cookies look absolutely delightful – a perfect afternoon teatime treat. But, personally, I do like mismatched china 😉 – it can add a delightful personal touch to a dinner table. And I always break so many plates, that inevitably my dinner table setting is forever mismatched. Cute potholders btw. I also have a few hand-crocheted ones that I have not managed to display nearly as charming as you have.
Hope both of you are doing well – happy to report that one of the girls finished her ‘Abitur’ amidst all the turmoil…
Liebe Gruesse,
Andrea
Cocoa & Lavender
June 14, 2020 at 4:04 pmCongratulations to your daughter! That is a big step, especially during all this.
The cookies are really tasty and we found they paired exceptionally well with brandy! 😉
ChefMImi
June 14, 2020 at 5:17 amIf I had to chose one regional American cuisine I’m the least fond of, it’s Southern cuisine. I’ve had good food there, but also food that was overly sweetened, over and over again. So I’m not tempted to buy this cookbook, and not being a baker, these cookies aren’t tempting me, although they’re certainly pretty. The restaurant sounds nice – the hours of 8 to 2 are interesting. And music in restaurants? I don’t even like music at my hair place, because even a song like Hey Jude becomes really annoying at a point. And I’ve always been like this. At 20 I couldn’t handle discos, or live concerts of any kind. The worst restaurant I’ve been to is Indochine in NYC. The tables were so close I have no idea how the waiters were able to walk around, let alone carry platters of food. No dividers, just a room full of full tables, with one especially loud New Yorker inches from us. We had to yell at each other to talk, and when my daughter actually complained, I knew it was loud. Plus I can’t read lips. Our throats were sore in the morning. Ooops, I’m getting sidetracked here. I think it’s lovely you got to review this book. Can’t wait to see what else you cook from it.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 14, 2020 at 4:09 pmThat has to be the most fun rant I’ve had, Mimi! I can’t even imagine paying as much as one would for a meal at Indochine and not being able to converse. I don’t like stuffy, either. So home dining is the best. I don’t have much experience with Southern cooking, save a few a Charleston recipes my mother collected. Does NOLA count as Southern? Love the cuisine there… For me, being a musician, the music has to be good and at an appropriate level… neither of which usually happens.
Ron
June 14, 2020 at 6:19 amReading a new cookbook is always a joy for me so I’m sure Mrs. Buttermilk’s cookery book would be one for me to enjoy. I love cookbooks that tell a story.
Your vanilla wafers look amazing! I say that for two reasons, one they do look amazing and two, we can’t get them here. We have lots of great cookies here, just no Nalla Wafers. Now, I’ve never made vanilla wafers, but as I’ve been craving Southern banana pudding I’ll just have to give this a try.
Music in Restaurants? As a rule no, like many I find it difficult to visit with friends in noisy restaurants. But, with that said, we always have some soft music playing in the background during dinner. Often it will be Bocelli or if we’re cooking Thai, well then we play Thai folk music and so on. Thanks for the introduction to Welcome to Buttermilk Kitchen and your candid review.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 14, 2020 at 4:11 pmWe will occasionally do thematic music for dinners but we make sure the volume is low. Ambiance is one thing… being beaten over the head with a bass beat is another. I’m so fascinated by the banana pudding comments. Gotta try it! Hope you and Eva are well and safe!
Peg Peterson
June 14, 2020 at 7:01 amHomemade vanilla wafers sound dreaming. I’m curious, David. Could I roll these into a log, chill them, slice them and then bake them?
Peg Peterson
June 14, 2020 at 7:02 amSorry *dreamy
Cocoa & Lavender
June 14, 2020 at 4:14 pmHey, Peg — this is definitely not an icebox cookie. The dough is super soft and won’t roll. You could try scooping them and freezing the scoops, then freeze/store them in a bag or container? Let me know what you try!
Peg Peterson
June 21, 2020 at 8:46 amThanks, David. I am totally off any sugar for a while but as soon as I can incorporate a bit back, I am going to make these cookies. They sound amazing. And if I try the Scoop and freeze method I will definitely let you know. Best to you and Mark.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 21, 2020 at 10:52 amRunning out of sugar sends shivers down my spine. 🙂
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
June 14, 2020 at 8:38 amSounds like a good cookbook. Right now I plan to focus on learning to use my new pressure canner and finding some useful recipes for that. But I would sure enjoy one of those cookies right now.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 14, 2020 at 4:15 pmHow fun, Gerlinde! A new toy! Maybe you need a cookie anyway?
Valentina
June 14, 2020 at 4:46 pmLooks/sounds like a fabulous cookbook, David. Lovely cookies and and photos.
So cool that Mrs. Buttermilk shares her playlists. I have one for cooking, though one of my boys usually ask that I turn it down so he can hear his rap music. 😉 Funny, I love to cook with music, but not eat with it. Cheers! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
June 17, 2020 at 8:15 amDefinitely, cooking with music is required! Sometimes I want it calm, sometimes I want it rowdy! At least I don’t have someone asking me to turn it down so they can hear their music… when I am traveling and dining alone, I don’t mind music playing in the background. But it has to be background, not foreground.
sherry
June 14, 2020 at 6:31 pmi love the cover of that book. yes recipes often leave out the little subtleties, don’t they? as you say, it’s just that we have them in our minds and simply forget to note them down in a recipe. one thing i spend a lot of time doing is measuring out the ingredients for a recipe. As UK measurements are different to ours in australia and to american ones, it makes for much measuring:-) And i get so mad when i see recipes with cup measurements; grrrrr.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 17, 2020 at 8:16 amPoops! Sorry for all the measurements… It’s just what we do here. I find it funny that when Italian or French recipes call for “a cup or a glass and” I have no idea what they mean. So, I guess I feel your frustration. 😉
The-FoodTrotter
June 15, 2020 at 9:04 amI’m quite intrigued by this book and I bet your cookies are delicious! I want them with a cup of steaming hot jasmine tea 😉
Cocoa & Lavender
June 17, 2020 at 8:16 amThat sounds like a perfect idea, Romain!
Raymund
June 15, 2020 at 3:01 pmNice and simple cookie recipe, certainly that would go really well with the coffee I am holding now.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 17, 2020 at 8:17 amI wish I could ship you some… But they never make it (to the post office). 😉
Fran @ G'day Souffle'
June 15, 2020 at 8:35 pmThis sounds like it’s not your boring ol’ cookbook- Mole Chicken Biscuit and Rye Whiskey Maple Syrup- I’m sold! BTW, when you mentioned 1980s Spandex Music, I automatically thought of the group, Spandau Ballet.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 17, 2020 at 8:17 amI do think that’s why I like the cookbook so much, Fran. It’s southern, but with a twist.
sippitysup
June 16, 2020 at 3:42 pmA loud restaurant is annoying, but I must admit I’d prefer a bit of noisy energy over some of the eerily quiet places I’ve been to. These cookies speak to my love of all Southern cooking. GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
June 17, 2020 at 8:18 amI keep forgetting you are from the south, Greg. I love when you tell stories about your mother… When I am dining alone, I love a little music in the background. I agree that it’s a little eerie if there’s no sound at all except for the clinking of forks and knives.
Priya
June 17, 2020 at 3:38 pmLooking forward to grabbing a copy of this book David. Thanks for sharing detailed notes.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 21, 2020 at 10:54 amGlad you enjoyed it, Priya!
Jeff the Chef
June 18, 2020 at 8:24 pmThanks for your thoughtful review and gorgeous pictures.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 21, 2020 at 10:54 amYou are most welcome, Jeff.
Himawan Sant
June 19, 2020 at 1:54 amThank you for this delicious and crispy Vanilla Wafers recipe.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 21, 2020 at 10:54 amMy pleasure! Thanks for stopping by again!
Gloria
June 19, 2020 at 10:05 amLooks absolutely delicious David !!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 21, 2020 at 10:53 amThanks, Gloria!
John
June 21, 2020 at 10:18 pmI definitely wouldn’t mind flicking through this cookbook. It sounds great, missing instructions and all. I’ll have to show Dean this recipe as I’m sure he’d be keen to bake some. He is in the kitchen more than I am!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 26, 2020 at 11:39 amDO you miss the kitchen John? Or is this a nice break? Yes, please tell Dean to bake these for you… you both deserve them.
M. Irfan Shahid
July 4, 2020 at 3:41 amSimply, I will say this is awesome. The instructions are great and taste will be too. sure…. thanks
Cocoa & Lavender
July 9, 2020 at 7:56 amThanks, Irfan!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
July 6, 2020 at 8:45 amWould you believe that I’ve been here three times. I get up to do something and have yet to leave a comment. Anyway, the simple cookies would go so nice served as an accompaniment with an after dinner drink when you just want a little something sweet.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 9, 2020 at 7:56 amThey actually go perfectly with both brandy and Nocino…. not that I tried them with both… 😉