Step inside the Atlas kitchen with chef Freddy Money’s latest cookbook
Freddy Money, executive chef of Atlas at the St. Regis Atlanta hotel, has released his second cookbook, “Atlas” (Bloomsbury Publishing, $200) featuring a look inside the Michelin-starred kitchen and some of its most iconic recipes, from the foie gras smiley face jammie dodgers to tiny caprese pills.
“I hope it gives everybody a better understanding of our deep passion and creative obsession and betterment, our goal just to be a little bit better every day,” Money told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
What to expect from the “Atlas” cookbook
Publishing cookbooks has long been part of Money’s professional ambitions, especially after growing up with the books from legendary restaurants and chefs. They were influential, educational and simply beautiful to look at.
His first self-published book, titled “Atlas: The Cook’s Book,” (Tavistock Restaurant Collection, 2025) was written with Daniela Cintron, a journalist and editor at Discover Atlanta.
Some of Cintron’s photography is featured in this latest cookbook, and when Money told her that it had been picked up by a traditional publisher, Cintron told the AJC she was excited to hear that an international publishing company was interested in this Atlanta story.
“Atlas is a restaurant that, through every dish, in my opinion, is telling us a story where Atlanta meets the world,” she said.
“Atlas” is currently available for purchase at the restaurant and will be for sale online starting in September. Money said he wanted to create another piece of media that could live on people’s shelves and coffee tables forever, even as the Atlas menu and staff evolve.
“The food itself is a moment in time, we’ll continue to evolve the cuisine. The stories and our way of working, though, is timeless,” he said.
The cover of “Atlas” features a hot pink paint splatter, and the interior of the book is studded with blue butterflies and paint splashes, all of which contrast with the clean, cohesive photos of food, and the intimate moments captured from inside the restaurant.
Money said he wanted the book to feel like a reflection of Atlas itself, which on the outside can seem intimidating with its white tablecloths, fine-dining reputation and the museum-quality art on the walls.
“We appreciate and we respect all the classics that come with a typical-fine dining restaurant, but when you really think about it and look at it, (Atlas is) a little rebellious. We play rock ‘n roll music, we’re artistic with our food, so from the outside looking in I want to break that mold of us being a scary, pretentious place because we’re really not,” he said.
After growing up in the UK and traveling and working in kitchens around the world, Money arrived in Atlanta with the intention of working temporarily at the St. Regis. But those few weeks have turned into more than six years. After living a somewhat nomadic life, Money said he’s even bought a house in Atlanta.
“We’ve got a great restaurant and great clientele, and we can cook the food that we’re passionate about,” he said.
How Atlas is teaching the next generation of chefs
The cookbook is, in some ways, an embodiment of the curriculum Atlas teaches in the kitchen, and Money said he hopes it can be used as a teaching resource as well as a piece of art.
When he began leading Atlas, it occurred to Money that, unless cooks have attended culinary school, they may not have all the foundational skills required to be a well-rounded chef. It felt like his responsibility to make sure the Atlas staff could learn these skills from disciplines across the restaurant.
Over time, it evolved into a curriculum.
The restaurant began participating in the Culinary Institute of America’s externship program and the J-1 Visa program a few years ago, he said, which lets budding chefs from around the world work in the Atlas kitchen. Earning a Michelin star has only made the restaurant more attractive as a learning destination for these students, Money said.
“Although we’re not a school, by any means, I want people to come through the kitchens, and when they leave their time with us, they’ve checked a lot of boxes. You’re not just coming into work; you have another sense of fulfillment other than a paycheck, right?” he said.
Part of what drew Cintron’s interest to Atlas was Money’s desire to stay in this city, despite his many travels. The kitchen employs people of international backgrounds, while the produce and ingredients they use is often sourced from just a few miles away, she said.
“Atlas is so special because it offers our city an opportunity to see our city represented in a dish beautifully created by artists from all over the world,” Cintron said.
Make this recipe from the Atlas menu
Recipe from “Atlas” (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2026) by Freddy Money, published with permission.
Knot Knot Pasta
- Pasta Dough (see recipe)
- Butter
- Finely grated lemon zest
- Creme fraiche
- Finely chopped chives
- Caviar
- Salt
- First roll your pasta through a pasta machine until you reach the thinnest setting (see Pasta Dough recipe), or leave it a little thicker, if you like it that way: This recipe is completely up to you.
- Now slice the pasta into thick ribbons, using a serrated pasta cutter. Or just slice it by hand with a sharp knife. As I said: You know best how you like your pasta.
- Fresh pasta cooks very quickly indeed, so this recipe is a case — as we would say in the UK — of bish-bash-bosh! In other words, be ready to work super-quickly!
- Now, prepare to use your senses, your best judgment and your taste buds: those three are the easiest way to proceed here, and will also stand you in better stead in a professional kitchen than almost everything else. Here we go …
- Cook your mafaldine — or whichever other shape of pasta you have formed — in well-salted water until just before al dente, as it will cook further in the emulsion you are about to make. Drain, but — and this is vital — reserve the salty, starchy pasta cooking water.
- Now melt a large knob of butter in a frying pan or saute pan and add the drained pasta and as much lemon zest as you think will make it taste good. Stir constantly, adding small ladles of the cooking water, spoonfuls of creme fraiche, and perhaps more lemon zest, until the sauce emulsifies and thickens. Taste, taste, taste, and stop adding ingredients when the sauce tastes as you want it. Add finely chopped chives and plate immediately in bowls. Add a generous spoon of caviar to each portion and serve.
Pasta Dough
- 330 grams “00” flour (about 2 and 3/4 cups)
- 320 grams egg yolks (about 18 large egg yolks, depending on egg size)
- 9 grams extra-virgin olive oil (about 2 teaspoons)
- You can do this in a few ways. The traditional way requires you to make a dome of flour on a work surface, make a well in its center, add the egg yolks and oil, then work the mix until it becomes a dough which is smooth, elastic and firm. The other way is to place the dry ingredients into a food processor and pulse, then blend in the egg yolks and oil. Remove and knead to become a smooth dough.
- Either method requires you to rest the dough once made. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Rest for at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 to 2 hours at room temperature.
- Once rested, you’ll need to roll it. When rolling, it is recommended to run the pasta through a pasta machine at the thickest setting first, then fold the pasta strip over itself into 3 thicknesses and repeat, before moving down a setting. Gradually reduce the thickness setting until you reach the desired thickness for your pasta shape.