Sunday Best: Cooking Up the Weekend Spirit Every Day (HC) (2022)

Chef Adrienne Cheatham spent her career cooking in some of the country's most prestigious restaurants, from Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin to Marcus Samuelsson's Red Rooster. She went on to become a finalist on Top Chef and founded a popular pop-up series, SundayBest, where she honed her signature style of cooking that combined her family's Southern roots and her own childhood food memories with her classical training in professional kitchens. The name of that series, and this book, were inspired by the special set of clothes that many in the Black community have reserved for church. During segregation, people would put on their Sunday best just to go into town as a way of demanding respect from those who didn't accept them as equal. This tradition and its meaning are at the core of Adrienne's debut book which shows how everyday moments should be appreciated, celebrated, and made special for those you love.

Now, inspired by her family's Sunday suppers and their humble dishes made with care and joy, Adrienne presents a heartfelt collection of recipes suffused with deep, familial comfort. The dishes feature creative twists and multicultural influences as Adrienne highlights the beautiful fact that across religions and cultures, weekly rituals around food are often a universal opportunity for connection and camaraderie. Adrienne's fresh but familiar recipes in Sunday Best include a feast-worthy pork roast crusted with pecans, charred okra roasted with tomatoes and warm spices, skirt steak topped with chimichurri of sharp mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts tossed with a nutty brown butter. She shares tips and methods for upgrading classic, staple recipes into a dish worth talking about, like a roasted chicken that gets incredibly deep flavor from a marinade made with stout and soy sauce or a split pea salad that suddenly feels special when tossed with a bacon-sherry vinegar glaze.

Full of beautiful photographs and personal stories, Sunday Best will help you make everyday meals something to celebrate no matter the day of the week.