Favorite "Southern" cookbooks (with good basics) (restaurant, butter, chefs)

[TiredNomad82]

I'm moving south and I'd like to add a great Southern cookbook to my collection and start getting familiar with some recipes.

My mother's family is from the south, but the cooking gene seemed to skip her. I have a few recipes but no experience with foods I consider southern staples.

Does anyone have a favorite cookbook that could help me out? (Hopefully one that is easy to follow since I'm learning by myself!)

[haggardhouseelf]

You might try Joy of Cooking if you don't have it already. Also, Alice Waters The Art of Simple Food is very helpful, with lots of good information.

Personally, my all time "go-to" cookbook is Marion Cunningham's Lost Recipe's... it's not specifically southern (I'm from Texas, living in the Pacific Northwest currently) but she has lots of those down-home wonderful sort of dishes in her book. Anything Marion does is awesome, love all her cookbooks actually!! Comfort food. Just good ole' comfort food!

[groove1]

Paula Deen Lady and Sons and Lady and Sons Too

I am transplant and my fiance is "southern". her granma went to Paula's restaurant and got us signed copies of the books (you can get them as a set)

[mrstewart]

Junior League of Monroe, Louisiana has a great cookbook and the name escapes me. My mother is from Louisiana and she even uses that one! Good luck!

[mikenbacismama]

I just bought the Southern Living Homestyle Cookbook (2008) after having borrowed it from the library. I haven't made anything from it yet, but I just had to have it (even though I swore I wouldn't buy any more cookbooks, since I've been finding most of my inspiration online).

[gentlearts]

I agree about the Southern Living Cookbook and Paula Deen. When you get down there, go to garage sales and look for cookbooks compiled by churches or PTA groups in which the women submit their best recipes. There is some good stuff in those.

[ebs964]

Just add a cup of mayo or a stick of butter in your regular receipes -

[brokensky]

Anything by Southern Living . . . I have a whole collection dating back to the 70s.

Paula Deen does have some good recipes, too. And I like local cookbooks and have been collecting them since the 70s.

Get on ebay and see what you can find from Southern towns - the local church cookbooks and the Junior League cookbooks. Have fun!!!!!

[sunsprit]

By far and away the "Best" Southern Cooking ... simple recipes, excellent results:

"In Pursuit of Flavor" by Edna Lewis.

Her work was/is a national treasure, IMO ... and that of many other "southern" chefs who've gotten their inspiration from her writing.

She has other cookbooks in print, too ... but this one is the best point to start from.

[TiredNomad82]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I went to the local bookstore and ended up buying Paula Deen's first cookbook. After going through it last night I marked the recipes that sounded good, but I still feel like some things were missing. I'm sure once I get down there I'll have plenty of choices!