Edward Lee on Southern Bookstores

Edward Lee is a man of stories. Some are his own: like the one about how a guy raised in Brooklyn by Korean parents went to NYU to study literature before finding his way to Louisville and—bypassing the culinary school route—came to make a name for himself on the Southern food scene. His food tells stories too. Lee has forged a culinary identity through his exploration of the crossroads between Southern and Korean food traditions, a journey he documents in his first book, Smoke and Pickles. Now, he’s working on a second, out next year from Artisan; he describes it as a collection of essays, with recipes. Never one to slow down, he’s also recently expanded his restaurant repertoire with the opening of Succotash in Washington, DC. The intersection of chef and author has come naturally for Lee, who’s made a hobby of collecting books from independent shops. Here, he shares some of his favorite Southern bookstores.

Edward Lee is a man of stories. Some are his own: like the one about how a guy raised in Brooklyn by Korean parents went to NYU to study literature before finding his way to Louisville and—bypassing the culinary school route—came to make a name for himself on the Southern food scene. His food tells stories too. Lee has forged a culinary identity through his exploration of the crossroads between Southern and Korean food traditions, a journey he documents in his first book, Smoke and Pickles. Now, he’s working on a second, out next year from Artisan; he describes it as a collection of essays, with recipes. Never one to slow down, he’s also recently expanded his restaurant repertoire with the opening of Succotash in Washington, DC. The intersection of chef and author has come naturally for Lee, who’s made a hobby of collecting books from independent shops. Here, he shares some of his favorites.