Chef David Chang seems to be the chef of the moment.
His new cookbook, "Momofuku," is named after his flagship restaurant in New York City, a modest noodle bar that has elevated ramen to the status of truffles and quail eggs.
The tale of this 32-year-old Korean-American chef who trained in Japan has been chronicled in The New York Times and the Washington Post. He has appeared on Martha Stewart's television show cooking poached eggs, shrimp, bacon dashi and grits. And news anchor Anderson Cooper raved on "Live With Regis and Kelly" about the aptly named Crack Pie, an addictive sugary, buttery dessert served at Chang's Milk Bar.
For those who want to meet Chang, he will be signing copies of his cookbook at A Southern Season from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday.
In a phone interview, Chang answered a few questions.
Q: What does it feel like to receive all this media attention?
It's weird. It's all very surreal.
Q: Who do you envision using this cookbook? What kinds of home cooks will be drawn to it?
I don't know. We never really got that far. We wanted to document it, nothing more than that.
Q: Are there any plans for a Milk Bar cookbook?
Yes. [Pastry chef] Christina Tosi is working on it as we speak.
Q: What tips do you have for people trying to re-create the Crack Pie recipe? Several bloggers report failures.
[Chang didn't offer any tips but ...] I think what they might be freaked out by is how much sugar and butter is in the Crack Pie.
Q: What three staples are always in your refrigerator?
Some type of hot sauce. A fish sauce or squid sauce. Some type of cured meat, ham or salumi.
