In 2012, Suzanne Vizethann opened Buttermilk Kitchen on Roswell Road in Buckhead, in a little blue house that looks as if it grew organically along with the menu. She published “Welcome to Buttermilk Kitchen,” (Gibbs Smith, 2020) eight years later, sharing recipes for the Southern breakfast and brunch comfort food that brought lines out the restaurant’s front door.
A little more than a decade later, she and her husband, Ryan Barfield, moved to Maine, purchased Marriner’s — a restaurant in Camden that had been in business for more than 80 years — and prepared to open Buttermilk Kitchen at Marriner’s. It was an opportunity to create something very different from their life in Atlanta.
This month, she published her second cookbook, “Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings From the Buttermilk Kitchen” (Gibbs Smith, $35). It’s a book she started in Atlanta and finished in Maine.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
While Vizethann now considers Maine her home, Atlanta fans of Buttermilk Kitchen do not have to worry that the local favorite is going away. “We divide our time between Georgia and Maine, although Maine is our primary residence now. I try to be back in Atlanta six to eight times a year and spend at least a week at a time when I’m here,” Vizethann said. In April, when we talked, she had been in Atlanta for a month.
She credits her kitchen manager, Christopher “Winnie” Munoz, who has worked with Vizethann for more than 10 years, and her assistant kitchen manager, Juan Rameriz, for keeping the Atlanta restaurant operating at a steady pace. Her general manager, Brandon Muggy, moved to Maine from Atlanta and also travels between the two locations.
Vizethann has been pleased to see some of the same faces at both restaurants. “We see regulars from Atlanta at the restaurant in Camden, and it’s fun that we see some of our Camden customers coming to the restaurant in Atlanta.”
A hallmark of Vizethann’s cooking is that both restaurants’ menus change with the seasons. And so, too, the new book is organized by season, featuring recipes from both restaurants and from Vizethann’s home kitchen.
Dishes like Baby Vidalia Casserole with Bacon for spring and Fried Eggplant Benedict with Basil Hollandaise for summer reflect her philosophy that “food should be beautiful; ingredients should shine and breakfast should be treated with respect.”
RECIPES
“Brunch Season,” the second cookbook from Suzanne Vizethann, owner and executive chef at Buttermilk Kitchen, offers brunch recipes from the menus of her two restaurants, as well as those she enjoys cooking at home.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Collard Green Shakshuka with Pecan Dukkah
Shakshuka is a North African and Middle Eastern dish traditionally made with tomatoes, onions and spices. Vizethann plays with the concept by substituting fresh, tender spring collards and combining them with sweet spinach or kale to heighten the green flavors.
It’s a dish she doesn’t put on the menu of either Buttermilk Kitchen location but cooks at home.
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1⁄2 sweet onion, minced
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 bunch collards, stems removed, chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1⁄2 cup water
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Handful baby spinach or kale
- 4 eggs
- Crumbled creamy feta and chopped fresh herbs such as dill, parsley and chives, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons Pecan Dukkah (see recipe), for garnish
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat oil in an ovenproof or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add collards and water. Season with salt and pepper and cook — stirring occasionally, until greens become tender and onion is completely soft — another 10 minutes. Add spinach or kale and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until greens are completely wilted.
- Using a spoon, create 4 wells in greens. Break one egg into each well. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake until eggs are set to your liking, 4 to 5 minutes for runny yolks.
- Garnish with feta, freshly chopped herbs and Pecan Dukkah.
Serves 4.
Per serving (using 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 2 tablespoons feta and Pecan Dukkah): 187 calories (percent of calories from fat, 67), 9 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 14 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 186 milligrams cholesterol, 224 milligrams sodium.
Recipes excerpted from “Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings From the Buttermilk Kitchen” by Suzanne Vizethann (Gibbs Smith, $35). Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.
Pecan Dukkah
This recipe makes more than you’ll need for your shakshuka, but Vizethann uses this versatile garnish for dressing up dips, hummus and roasted vegetables. “It has a nice crunch, and the coriander really makes it special.”
- 1⁄2 cup pecans
- 1⁄4 cup shelled pistachios
- 1⁄4 cup sesame seeds
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
- Combine pecans and pistachios in small skillet over medium heat, and toast 2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring frequently. Add sesame and fennel seeds and toast 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove skillet from heat.
- Transfer mixture to bowl of a food processor fitted with S-blade. Add coriander, cumin, salt and Aleppo pepper or pepper flakes. Pulse until chopped, about 10 pulses.
- Allow to cool, then transfer to a jar. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week.
Makes 1 cup.
Per tablespoon: 57 calories (percent of calories from fat, 79), 1 gram protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, trace total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 94 milligrams cholesterol.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
No-Waste Asparagus Grits
Vizethann writes, “I feel the proudest when I know that I have used a whole vegetable to its capacity.” For this recipe, she uses every part of the asparagus.
Using the woody ends of the asparagus spears to make the stock that’s used to cook the asparagus transforms the taste of grits. “When we tested this recipe, one of our guests said, ‘I have never liked grits, but I love this.’”
A smart technique is whisking the grits with the stock before cooking, then using a strainer to strain off the chaff before cooking.
- 1 (1-pound) bunch asparagus
- 6 cups water
- 1 head garlic, sliced in half horizontally
- 1 bunch thyme
- 1 cup white coarse-ground grits
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- Microgreens and coarse sea salt, for garnish
- Prepare asparagus: Break off ends of spears and set ends aside for stock. Cut off tips of the spears and set those aside for sauteing to garnish the grits. Save the remainder of the spears for the asparagus puree.
- Make stock: In a large saucepan, combine asparagus ends with water, garlic and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat until mixture simmers. Cook 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour stock into a large bowl through a strainer and discard solids.
- Prepare grits: Put grits in a large saucepan and add 3 cups asparagus stock. Use a whisk to stir grits and stock so that chaff from the grits rises to the top. Use a fine-mesh strainer to remove and discard chaff. Put saucepan over high heat and use a wooden spoon to stir energetically until the liquid comes to a boil and the grits begin to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt. Reduce heat to low so that grits are barely bubbling and cook 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, adding the remaining stock as needed. After 20 minutes, remove from heat and cover saucepan.
- Make asparagus puree: While grits are cooking, combine reserved centers of the asparagus stalks in a medium saucepan with 1 cup cream. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until stalks are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
- Transfer asparagus-cream mixture to the jar of a blender and puree until smooth, adding additional cream if needed to thin the mixture to the consistency of creamy mashed potatoes.
- Stir puree into grits and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Prepare asparagus tips: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat and add reserved asparagus tips and saute 1 minute.
- Divide grits between 4 serving bowls. Divide remaining butter between bowls and top with asparagus tips. Sprinkle with microgreens and coarse sea salt and serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Per serving (using extra pinch of coarse sea salt for garnish and no additional heavy cream): 421 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 7 grams protein, 39 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 26 grams total fat (17 grams saturated), 94 milligrams cholesterol, 584 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Carrot Cake Granola
Vizethann writes, “This is a fun way to cook carrots! I love making different types of granola to have on hand for the week. Try it on vanilla yogurt, over a salad or as a snack by itself.”
She cautions that granola can burn easily, so it’s important to keep an eye on it as it’s baking and to use your nose. “If it smells like it’s getting too brown, remove it from the oven immediately.”
- 1⁄2 cup rolled oats
- 1⁄2 cup grated peeled carrot
- 1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons raw sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch sea salt
- 1⁄4 cup refined coconut oil
- 1⁄4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1⁄4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1⁄2 cup raisins
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, stir together oats, carrot, pecans, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- Combine coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla in a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the oat and nut mixture and mix well.
- Spread mixture evenly on prepared baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. After 20 minutes in the oven, stir in coconut flakes and bake 5 minutes more.
- Remove from oven. Allow granola to cool on baking sheet and stir in raisins.
- Transfer to a jar and store, covered, on the counter for up to two weeks.
Makes 2 1/2 cups.
Per 1⁄2-cup serving: 440 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 6 grams protein, 48 grams carbohydrates, 32 grams total sugars, 6 grams fiber, 39 grams total fat (17 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 58 milligrams sodium.
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