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Sara Liss has been covering the Miami food scene for over fifteen years having served as Senior Food Writer at Miami.com for ten years and editor of UrbanDaddy Miami for five years. She has built a career out of spotlighting the coolest culinary talents and uncovering flavors from around the world. In her debut cookbook Miami Cooks, out this fall from Figure 1 Books, she highlights chefs and recipes from 35 of Miami’s favorite restaurants Brickell’s La Mar and Boulud Sud to Wynwood’s KYU and South Beach’s Sardinia.
How did the book come about?
I was approached by Figure 1 Publishing over a year ago to add Miami to its popular anthology of city cookbooks that launched in the U.S. with Portland three years ago and includes lauded food cities like Seattle, Vancouver and Houston. When putting together the roster of restaurants I tried to include a good mix of hotel properties, hidden gems, mom and pop’s, and family-owned places.
What did you learn about Miami’s food scene that surprised you the most while working on this book?
Everyone is connected. Even though I have been writing about Miami’s food scene for 15 years, I didn’t quite realize the scope of connectivity. Most chefs featured in Miami Cooks had either worked with another chef in the book at some point, or attended the same culinary school, or worked under the same mentor, or at one time, worked at the same restaurant. I don’t know why that surprised me so much, but the book really is a sort of family tree of Miami chefs.
What level of cooking experience do people need to be able to make these recipes?
The book covers all levels, from a simple Persian carrot stew (from Fooq’s) to a more labor intensive Cauliflower with huancaina sauce and yuzu foam (from Beaker and Gray). There are also a few cocktail recipes thrown in if you need some liquid courage to tackle any challenging dishes.
The book is also a feast for the eyes.
Yes! Beyond the impressive recipes I think what I’m most excited about with this book is the spectacular photography by our local super star Michael Pisarri. The food shots and chef portraits are seriously next-level, and those, combined with the elegant hard-cover design, will make this a handsome addition to anyone’s kitchen bookshelf or coffee table.
So where can we get Miami Cooks?
Each restaurant benefits from the sale of the books when you buy from the restaurant directly (for a full list see here). You can also support local by purchasing at Books and Books—both online and in-store. And of course, it is available on Amazon.
