William Stark Dissen Author Talk • Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted in the New South
A note about our in-store events:
We offer first come, first served seating in our shop. There will be overflow room outside if needed and the author will be mic'd. Everyone is welcome to attend.
You can pre-order a copy below for pick-up at the event or purchase copies on-site.
Chef William Dissen, trained at the Culinary Institute of America, is the founder, owner, and chef behind the critically-acclaimed North Carolina restaurants The Market Place, Billy D’s Fried Chicken, and Little Gem. Dissen currently serves as Culinary Diplomat for the U.S. State Department and was nominated for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2024.
Emily Luchetti's impressive career includes helming the pastry programs at Stars, Farallon, Waterbar, and for Big Night Restaurant Group (The Cavalier, Marlowe, Cow Marlowe, Petit Marlowe, Park Tavern, and Leo’s Oyster Bar). She is the author of Stars Desserts and A Passion for Ice Cream and the recipient of numerous awards and accolades. She is the founder of dessertworthy, serves on the James Beard Foundation Board of Trustees, is an ambassador for Oxfam Sisters on the Planet and a Les Dames d’Escoffier International member. She is currently the food columnist for The Point Reyes Light and sells her seasonal jams, chocolate bars, and other sweets at markets and pop-up stores.
Thoughtful Cooking — Growing up in West Virginia, Chef William Dissen began his culinary journey in his grandmother’s kitchen. There, family meals were cooked with local ingredients, many from the home’s bountiful garden. In this ambitious debut cookbook, Dissen reinterprets the flavors of his youth, putting a modern spin on recipes grounded in the traditions of sustainable agriculture, local cuisine, and the hills and valleys of his Appalachian community.
Thoughtful Cooking also represents a culinary vibe shift, as these recipes invite the reader to meditate on the importance of cooking through the seasons and considering the people who are growing, harvesting, fishing, and foraging the ingredients. With modern, Southern-inspired recipes like Cornmeal Fried Catfish with Butterbean and Boiled Peanut Stew, Tomato Sandwiches with Confit Garlic Aioli, and Red Wine–Braised Beef Short Ribs with Blue Cheese and Green Apple Slaw and Cumin Chili Sauce, Dissen showcases the flavors of the place he calls home.
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available for pick-up at the event or shipping worldwide
