FRANK STITT'S SOUTHERN TABLE: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill

"I have eaten at the Highlands Bar and Grill more than twenty times and have never had a single dish that was not superb," gushes novelist Conroy in his laudatory introduction to this sumptuous journey through one man's passion for fine food, dining pleasure and life's good stuff. The book bursts with mouthwatering recipes for Stitt's take on low country cooking seen through the lens of his Provençal training (he learned the latter at Alice Waters's legendary Chez Panisse in San Francisco). Throughout, Stitt, chef and owner of the Birmingham, Ala., eatery, preaches the gospel of using fresh ingredients. Exotic spices from Asia and the Middle East meet down home succotash and humble cornbread, bringing the food Stitt learned about at his mother's elbow firmly into the 21st century. Each main course recipe, from simple favorites (Flounder with Clam Chowder Sauce) to complex show stoppers (Quail Stuffed with Cornbread and Figs with Molasses Vinaigrette) is accompanied by a brief list of suitable accompanying wines. Christopher Hirshiemer's photos incite drooling, and the deluxe four-color printing throughout the book will beckon to the hungry. A restaurateur of estimable success, Stitt remains humble. He glories in nature's bounty and the talent of his mentors and employees, and generously shares it all in this marvelous book. (Oct.)