Chef William Dissen is a man for all seasons, both literally and poetically. At one with the rhythms of nature and her bounty, he has given us here a guide to make the most of the world of food that surrounds us. As a culinary philosopher, he encourages us to approach that work with a keen eye, curiosity, and a calm spirit. Plenty of cookbooks make me want to sit right down and start to eat, but this one inspires me to get up, head to the kitchen, and start cooking—thoughtfully.—Ronni Lundy, author of the James Beard Award–winning Victuals: An Appalachian Journey with Recipes

William Stark Dissen, chef and owner of James Beard Semi-finalist restaurant The Market Place in Asheville, NC captures the spirit of cooking with intention in Thoughtful Cooking. With a philosophy that leans into the way food and cooking provide self-care, the cookbook is organized by seasons and includes must-try dishes like Mac and Cheese with Smoked Cheddar Mornay, Spring Peas, and Aged Ham, as well as Yukon Gold Focaccia Flatbread with Cured Salmon, Crème Fraîche, and Pickled Red Onions. Thoughtful tips for the cook such as how to source ingredients and perfect techniques are sprinkled throughout and truly capture the spirit of taking the time to create a delicious dish and enjoy it.—Cheryl Slocum, Senior Food Editor, Food & Wine

Dissen, the chef behind Asheville, N.C.’s the Market Place restaurant, takes a farm-to-table approach to Southern-style cooking in his exciting debut. He celebrates locally grown ingredients at the peak of their ripeness by dividing the recipes by season. Highlights include slow roasted pork shoulder with asparagus cream and green strawberry relish for spring, cornmeal fried catfish with butter bean and boiled peanut stew with green tomato chowchow for summer, candy roaster squash soup with blue cheese and pumpkin seeds for fall, and heirloom corn grits with mushroom ragout and poached egg for winter. Dissen also shares his passion for foraging ingredients, which inspired him to create dishes including wild ramp and new potato bisque, and pea and ricotta-stuffed morel mushrooms...Dissen’s creative flavor combinations are sure to intrigue adventurous home cooks. He admits that the recipes are “not designed to be convenient and quick,” but his clearly written instructions are easy to follow. This is a trove of inspiration for weekend and holiday meals. —Publisher's Weekly