South of Somewhere by Dale Gray

South of Somewhere

by Dale Gray

NAMED A BEST COOKBOOK OF 2023 by TASTING TABLE and LOCAL PALATE

A one-of-a-kind recipe chronicle of Dale Gray’s life in the south—from South Africa to South Korea to the American South.

South of Somewhere is a unique culinary tour of beloved food blogger Dale Gray’s life to date. Her journey goes way back to South Africa on the outskirts of Cape Town. Dale grew up with a close-knit family who has resided in her hometown for generations, but it’s almost impossible to encapsulate her heritage in a few words. She describes the people of South Africa as a product of centuries of colonization, enslavement, apartheid, and intermarriage between people from Asia, Africa, and Europe—now compromising a colorful blend of Eastern, Western, and African heritage.

After growing up in South Africa, Dale taught English for six years in South Korea, and she later moved to the American South where she resides now with her husband. The result of her travels is a one-of-a-kind cookbook with dishes including Porch Party Shrimp with Mississippi Comeback Sauce, Salmon Ssam Feast, and Garlic Peri-Peri Roast Chicken. Dale Gray is best known for creating delicious dinner recipes for her blog and Instagram that look as good as they taste, but this book delves far deeper into her story and food with delicious creations like these and more which you’ll return to time and time again.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

South of Somewhere is a well written collection of stories and recipes from the author's life in the "south" (Africa, Korea, and the USA). Released 5th Sept 2023 by Simon & Schuster on their Element imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

This is an appealing and attractive collection of well written recipes for a wide variety of different cuisines following along with author Dale Grey's wide ranging life on three different continents. Recipes are gathered thematically: snacks & drinks, fish & shellfish, poultry, beef, pork & lamb, eggs, vegetable heavy, sweets, and "basics" which includes sauces, gravies, spices, finishing elements, and staples. The "vegetable heavy" chapter is not strictly vegetarian and some recipes use chicken stock or other elements, but all of them have fully vegetarian options included. 

The ingredients are in a bullet list sidebar. Servings, prep, step by step cooking instructions and alternatives and prep notes are also provided in highlighted text boxes for easy reading. Ingredients are given with imperial (American) units only. 

About half the recipes are accompanied by one or more full color photos. Serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate. This is a book, warmly written, and *full* of really good food. The author/publisher have included a cross referenced index. Most of the ingredients will be readily available at any well stocked grocery store in North America. Some of them will require a more specialized international grocery or online sources. 

Five stars. This is a very varied but very friendly book with lots (and lots) of good recipes. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

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Reading updates

  • 9 September, 2023: Started reading
  • 9 September, 2023: Finished reading
  • 9 September, 2023: Reviewed