The Saltwater Table (Recipes from the Coastal South)

The Saltwater Table is a culinary travel fantasy cookbook, celebrating the food of the southeastern coast, by Whitney Otawka, the award-winning chef of Greyfield, a celebrated Carnegie-built inn located on Cumberland Island, Georgia—a magical and remote barrier island that has been left undeveloped as a national seashore.

“Readers of this beautiful book can learn a lot from her.” ―Jacques Pépin

“The book shines when it digs deep into the region’s briny history.” ―Grub Street

“Otawka’s cooking is approachable and meant to be shared.” ―Epicurious

Cumberland Island and the exceptional local ingredients to be found there are Otawka’s muse, inspiring her to celebrate the beloved food found along the Southeast coast. Offering a modern perspective on southern flavors with a strong emphasis on vegetables and fresh ingredients, the book contains 125 approachable and flavorful recipes, such as:

• Summer Tomatoes Topped with Crispy Okra
• Flakey Buttermilk Biscuits with Ginger-Spiked Jam
• Sweet Atlantic Shrimp Poached with Beer, Citrus, and Bay Leaves
• Shrimp Escabeche with Sungold Tomatoes
• Cumberland Paella
• Spaghetti Squash with Pecorino Romano Cream and Walnuts
• Banana Leaf–Wrapped Snapper
• And much more!

This beautifully photographed book also shows us how to enjoy iconic southern meals, everything from an oyster roast to a fish fry to a Low Country boil.

Otawka writes in her introduction, “Layer upon layer, century upon century, the history and the people that have called Cumberland home have sculpted a unique place. It is this wild isolated nature that over the centuries added to its lore.” The Saltwater Table transports readers to the mysterious, lush Cumberland Island, allowing us to recreate a taste of this vibrant world in our own kitchens.