When we ran into Scotty Scott at a local farmers market last spring, he was a bit stressed out by searching (unsuccessfully) for fresh peaches. Focused on a hush-hush project at the time, the part-time chef and food blogger behind the social media juggernaut Cook Drank Eat whispered, “I’m working on a cookbook.”

We didn’t pry too much but made a mental note to follow up later. Having spent time with Scott in the compact kitchen of his Fort Worth apartment for a 360 West story that ran in 2019, we had no doubt that the project would be funny, interesting and worth the wait.

That “later” is finally here with the release of Fix Me a Plate: Traditional and New School Soul Food Recipes from Scotty Scott of Cook Drank Eat, including dishes such as Black Garlic Skillet T-Bone, Almost Momma’s Mac and Cheese, Blueberry Corn Pancakes and Tomato Pie. While Scott grew up in Detroit, went to college in Houston and moved to the Fort Worth-Dallas area to work in the oil and gas industry, his roots run through the South to Savannah, Georgia, where his mother was raised. In Houston, he grew to love Creole cooking thanks to friends who introduced him to crawfish boils and more.

The book project, which began in November 2020, turned into equal parts cooking extravaganza, research project and history lesson as Scott dug deep into his family history and the backstories of specific dishes and ingredients. He wrote not only the recipes but the witty and humorous introductions to each chapter and dish, but admits the project presented fresh challenges.

“It definitely went beyond my expectations in several different ways,” says Scott. “I was blessed and a bit lucky. I was used to creating recipes on the fly, but I had to perfect 60 for the book.”

Scott, who made all of the dishes and supervised all photography at his home, says that the “Sweet Tooth” chapter kicked his butt, especially the recipes for Red “What is This Velvet?” Cake and the Praline Pecan Sweet Potato Pie. “The cake wasn’t red, and the pralines didn’t set up. I was making a bunch of pies for Thanksgiving, and people were supposed to pick them up at 8 a.m.; I pulled an all-nighter and finally got the pralines the right consistency. Making candy definitely is a science.”

Scott also admits that his significant other, Sandra Clark, was a bit dismayed by all the baked goods in the house. “She’s more a fan of kale and healthy smoothies.”

While cooking comes naturally to Scott, he’s thrilled he got to fulfill his middle school dreams of becoming a writer (he recently penned a piece on the history of Gullah red rice, a regular at family dinners when he was growing up, for the February issue of Saveur).

As Scott gears up for a book tour, including local appearances, he and Sandra also are prepared to welcome a second child in April. We look forward to a second cookbook, too.