The author introduces many of the three hundred dishes featured in a back-in-print cookbook that focuses exclusively on the South with comments and notes on their history, their evolution over the years, and his favorite versions.

"A former slave, Mrs Fisher came from Mobile, Alabama and began cooking for San Francisco society in the late 1870's"--Back cover.

Includes sixty recipes for side dishes, entrees, muffins, bread, and cakes which use grits, and discusses such issues as whether the word "grits" is singular or plural, and why only people in the South eat grits

A compilation of sixty-five of the greatest cake recipes from the South, plus plenty of baking tips, from the author of Southern Pies. It’s time to relax on the porch swing and feast your eyes on some of the tastiest cakes you’ll ever sink your fork into. There are recipes here for everything from Brown Sugar Pound Cake and fluffy white coconut cakes layered with lemon curd or raspberry jam to the chocolatey goodness of Mississippi Mud Cake and the extravagant elegance of Lady Baltimore Cake. With cakes this delectable, it’s no wonder Southerners are so proud of their baking history. Jam cakes and jelly rolls; humble pear bread and peanut cake; cakes with one, two, three, and four layers; and even Eudora Welty’s bourbon-soaked white fruitcake—each moist and delicious forkful represents the welcome-to-the-South attitude of the sultry Southern states. The Baking 101 section explains the basics, including buying the proper equipment, mixing the perfect batter, putting on the finishing touches (that means frosting, and lots of it!), and the how-to’s of storing your lovely cake so that the last slice tastes as delightful and moist as the first. As you page through Southern Cakes, you’ll surely come across some old favorites as well as many new delectable treats, plus a generous helping of Southern hospitality in each and every slice. “Food writer Nancie McDermott has compiled 65 of the most sinfully delicious cakes . . . and the result could make even Scarlet O’Hara weak in the knees.” —Chocolatier Magazine “For my money, the grandest-looking cakes in this book are the brown sugar pound cakes baked in a tube pan with a lush mass of caramel glaze drooling down its sides, and the classic coconut cake, with its feathery, dazzling white frosting. When I brought the coconut cake to the office, people in the street were literally lunging at it.” —Los Angeles Times

Andrea's Cooktales: A Keepsake Cookbook. Learn New Recipes, Treasure Old Ones is the debut book of one of America's top 100 home cooks. This heirloom cookbook is meant to be savored, splattered, and shared. It features "New-Generation" Southern recipes that are unique, fun, and easy to follow. Special stories are behind every recipe, which will inspire your own memories and stories. Learn new recipes to add to your weekday as well as holiday meal rotations. From appetizers to dessert, recipes are both naughty (for splurging) and nice (for healthy eating). A notes section is included for cooking/food questions and answers, as well as journal areas to jot down stories and enter family recipes. The perfect gift book, it features a scuff-resistant hardcover, Smythe-sewn binding and a ribbon bookmark that will ensure it will be passed along for years. With delicious photography by Memphian Nicole Cole and a foreword by Memphis restaurateur and chef Jennifer Chandler.

An authentic collection of recipes celebrating Southern traditions. Southern cooking as most people think of it doesn’t exist. After all, there are as many ways to make real corn bread, gumbo or fried chicken as there are cooks. Instead of dwelling on conventional notions of authenticity, Essentials of Southern Cooking honors the spirit, the history, the people, and the taste of the classic Southern table by focusing on the essence of great Southern food and combining traditional ingredients in fresh ways. In this tempting collection of over 250 recipes, author Damon Lee Fowler balances the enduring appeal of rural Southern flavors with the modern sensibilities of today’s cook. It’s an engaging and informative look at the heritage of Southern cuisine. Sampling of recipes: Creamy Chicken Pot Pies Sweet Potato Cobbler Scalloped Oysters Lowcountry Crab au Gratin Baked Vidalia Sweet Onions with Ham Bourbon-Grilled Flank Steak Shrimp Étouffée Pecan-Crusted Cat Fish Butter-Bean and Okra Ragout Old-Fashioned Southern Shortcake