Hitz cooks up something special with new book

of soul food and exoticism.

Alex Hitz visited Off Square Books on Jan. 26 to promote his latest book release: “Occasions to Celebrate: Cooking and Entertaining with Style.”

Fans of Hitz’s works poured into the building to be treated to an impressive arrangement of wines and snacks.

Hitz, who has sold more than 200,000 books, has led a vast and varied career.

He was born on Feb. 10, 1969, spending his formative years traveling between Atlanta, Ga., and France.

In his late 20s, aside from his work as a chef, Hitz spent some time as a Broadway producer before deciding to extend his talents to Hollywood.

He moved to Los Angeles in 1996 with hopes of becoming a movie producer. He has subsequently accumulated great wealth as both a television host and a co-owner of an Atlanta restaurant, where he was once employed.

Hitz’s upbringing is evident in his cooking style, displayed in his intricate balance

Hitz’s personality is as intriguing as his work. He warned the excited Off Square Books audience to “never stop smiling,” which was an easy rule to keep as he hilariously recalled many of his favorite moments throughout his multifaceted career.

His latest book highlights the importance of such moments.

“Food is a part of what happens when people are together,” Hitz said. “It’s not about specimen.”

Hitz often found the dinner party scene in Los Angeles difficult to become accustomed to as consumers often treated a meal as a specimen to be admired rather than an outlet for meaningful conversation and growth.

“A lone radish and a Starbucks coffee served as a full meal,” Hitz said.

Hitz insisted that it is not uninspired or less meaningful to keep meals simple in both execution and presentation.

Hitz’s book lays out the ideal ways to plan a menu and, furthermore, how to best prepare the consumer for the meal and overall experience ahead. He also provided his fair share of insider secrets.

“Never order the special of the day,” he said. “That’s usually just the food that has gone bad that needs to be gotten rid of.”

Hitz clearly has great admiration for cooking and the sense of comfort and belonging that it brings to both him and his fans.

“The best food I ever had was always at home,” Hitz said.

Mistakes are always going to come with the cooking process, but Hitz believes that is what makes the culi- nary experience so special.

“If you mess up, it’s always okay to throw it out and start over.”

“Occasions to Celebrate: Cooking and Entertaining in Style” is available in stores now, including at Square Books.