The Glory Of Southern Cooking: Recipes for the Best Beer-Battered Fried Chicken, Cracklin' Biscuits, Carolina Pulled Pork, Fried Okra, Kentucky Cheese ... Cake, and Almost 400 Other Delectable Dishes - Softcover

No one is more passionate about Southern cooking than James Villas, who has written eloquently about barbecue, Brunswick stew, grits, fried okra, and other Southern specialties throughout his long and distinguished career as a food writer and an editor at Town & Country magazine. Now, Villas has at last written the cookbook he was always meant to write—the definitive compendium of classic and modern Southern recipes.

The Glory of Southern Cooking is a labor of love—a book that draws on Villas's fond food memories from his North Carolina boyhood and his lifelong quest for the tastiest Southern fare. In it, you'll find Villas's authentic recipes for familiar Southern favorites, such as fried chicken, pork barbecue, collard greens, cornbread, and cobblers. But you'll also discover thoroughly delicious regional specialties, many of which are largely unknown outside the locale where they originated—South Carolina Frogmore Stew, Florida Conch Fritters, Mississippi Fried Dill Pickles, and Tennessee Monkey Bread, to name a few. To top it all off, Villas also includes exciting new dishes from some of the South's most esteemed and innovative chefs, including Louis Osteen, Frank Stitt, Ben and Karen Barker, Paul Prudhomme, Paula Dean, Emeril Lagasse, and the late Edna Lewis.

This celebration of Southern food offers 388 glorious recipes for every meal and occasion—everything from tea foods, chowders, and casseroles to barbecue, desserts, and pickles. Villas introduces each recipe with a lively, informative, and opinionated headnote packed with history, lore, and plenty of cooking tips. Complete with sixteen pages of striking color photographs, a full glossary of Southern culinary terms, and expert advice on equipment, ingredients, and special cooking techniques, The Glory of Southern Cooking is a must-have kitchen companion for everyone who loves great food.

"This book is a must for anyone who loves good food, or loves to cook, or who just enjoys wonderful writing. It couldn't be better from a master cook and writer."
—Barbara Kafka

"There're a lot of books on Southern cooking knocking around, but this one's a real keeper. James Villas knows his stuff, maybe better than anyone else in the field. His text is charming, his information fascinating, his recipes good and true. After reading this book, I now believe, as Villas maintains, that southern American cooking is our one legitimate regional cuisine."
—Paula Wolfert

"Jim Villas was born to write The Glory of Southern Cooking, and this wonderful book is as much about keeping the faith as it is the best ever written about this highly regional cuisine."
—John Mariani, author of The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink

"In case of fire, grab James Villas's book The Glory of Southern Cooking, and run out the door. It will not be necessary to replace any other cookbooks in your library because this one provides a lifetime of great food."
—Jane and Michael Stern, authors of Roadfood and Contributing Editors of Gourmet magazine

This exuberant celebration of Southern cooking offers 388 glorious recipes for every meal and occasion—from staples like barbecue, collard greens, cornbread, and cobblers to regional specialties unknown even to many Southerners. Throughout the book, legendary author James Villas includes his own lively opinions on Southern history, lore, and cooking. With fundamental cooking tips and sixteen pages of striking color photographs, The Glory of Southern Cooking is a must-have for everyone who loves great food.