Our editors pick the top cookbooks touting Southern food this season
Recipes From the American South
By Michael W. Twitty | Phaidon
One of the most candid and enlightening voices in the Southern food space, Michael W. Twitty has written books that are shaping a more complete view of the region, including his first, The Cooking Gene. His latest cookbook, Recipes From the American South is the next essential book on Southern cooking, filled with more than 260 dishes, both iconic and those that deserve another look. His thoughtful prose and deep research give context for everything from peanut soup to Lady Baltimore cake in the headnotes, while the recipes are expertly streamlined and approachable. The One Pot chapter includes four variations of gumbo, plus she-crab soup, kush (a cornbread hash), and more, while Poultry, Meat & Game is loaded with options from country captain to smoked hog jowl with greens. Once again, Twitty serves up historical food for thought, all delivered with a comprehensive look at the dishes Southerners are making today.
For the Love of Chocolate: 80 At-Home Recipes from a Master Chocolatier’s Imagination
By Phillip Ashley Rix | Harper Celebrate
Phillip Ashley Rix credits a dream about Willy Wonka for his pivot from corporate sales to chocolate maker, but it was his own perseverance and passion that pushed him to self-educate, research, and eventually launch his Hollywood-approved chocolate empire from his home base in Memphis. For the Love of Chocolate shares his journey, while also making space for those seeking a master class from someone who isn’t afraid to divulge all the secrets. Some of Rix’s recipes are wild and purely his own—sweet potato ganache filled-bonbons, a soul food collection featuring a chocolate with collard greens and cornbread, a barbecue truffle. Some are classic, like his perfect chocolate chunk cookie. The book is a celebration but also an exploration, with plenty of context given for the history of cacao, as well as how to find ethically sourced chocolates. Rix’s dream is to one day create an incubator space for fellow chocolate creators, and this cookbook feels like a strong start.
Family Thai: Bringing the Flavors of Thailand Home
By Arnold Myint and Kat Thompson | Abrams
In tribute to his mother, a legendary Nashville restaurateur, Arnold Myint has crafted a Thai book from his very unique perspective—as a queer first-generation raised in the South. The breadth of recipes run from ones you’ll encounter in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, but also ones that other first-generation Thais will recognize as crossover dishes, like his pad kee mao made with spaghetti. His mother, Patti, was his muse as she once put together a pamphlet of recipes that he has adapted, including her recipes for broccoli chicken, curry noodle soup, and pad macaroni. The photography throughout matches Myint’s flamboyant and fun persona while also drawing you into the world of International Market, the restaurant he and his sister Anna now run since their parents have passed on—including portraits of some of the women who have been cooking with the family business for decades.
Make Do With What You Have: 100 Delicious New Recipes from Favorite Old-School Meals
By Kardea Brown | Amistad
As a young graduate student living in New Jersey and working for a nonprofit, South Carolina native Kardea Brown turned to the kitchen to not only find craft delicious meals with limited funds, but also to find peace. Her world shifted completely when a boyfriend sent a video of her cooking to the Food Network, landing her a guest spot on a show—that journey eventually brought about her own show, Delicious Miss Brown, as well as her first cookbook, The Way Home. In her second cookbook, she returns to those early days of cooking, as well as to her family’s Gullah Geechee roots, serving up recipes that speak to this particular moment in time as grocery prices skyrocket and budgets tighten. Her recipes show how you can stretch pricier ingredients, dress up pantry staples, and cook soul-satisfying meals without breaking the bank. Country skillet potpie, lemon pepper fried catfish, and Geechee ham, egg, and rice, will all become dishes to drop into your weekly rotation.
My Southern Kitchen: From Suppers to Celebrations, Recipes for Every Occasion
By Ivy Odom | Abrams
As a video personality and editor for Southern Living, Ivy Odom leans into her hardcore Southernness: she loves bourbon, entertaining, meal trains, and sweet tea. Her cookbook, My Southern Kitchen, further delivers on that lifestyle. Chapters like What’s For Supper, Lawn Parties, and Lazy Sundays are filled with her takes on nostalgic dishes like Sunday roasted chicken, dilly potato salad, and weeknight fried chicken, with lots of nods to her Mama and Nana throughout. But she also gets creative with pumpkin whoopie pies, pimento queso fundido, king cake beignets, and guacamole with pork rinds. For those who enjoy a good peek behind the curtain, Odom also shares plenty of stories about what it was like to host 40 episodes of The Southern Living Show, and her quick rise into food stardom.
Taste the State: Georgia—Distinctive Foods and Stories From Where Eating Local Began
By Kevin Mitchell and David S. Shields | The University of South Carolina Press
In November 1913, across the entire state of Georgia, diners sat down to what was likely the first version of an entirely Georgia-grown meal. All 76 places that hosted the Georgia Products Dinners were tasked with sourcing ingredients only from Georgia—and several of the menus from those meals have been combed through by the co-authors of Taste the State: Georgia. David S. Shields and Kevin Mitchell released their second food and reference book in the series (the first was Taste the State: South Carolina), late this summer, providing a deep dive into the ingredients that define Georgia’s unique place in the Southern food landscape. Organized by ingredient (from apples and figs to oysters and mustard greens), the book includes historical notes on each (from both authors) as well as recipes, supplied by Mitchell. While it’s primarily an educational resource, it’s also a cookbook brimming with factoids for history buffs and Southern food fans alike. Plus, for the menu collectors out there, they’ve reproduced all of the menus from that 1913 dinner that were made public.
Seasoned in Appalachia: Delicious Recipes from the Mountains and Hollers
By Jimmy Proffitt | Quarto
A natural-born storyteller, Jimmy Proffitt puts a timestamp on his life growing up in Virginia’s Shenandoah County and visiting family in West Virginia. His writing drops you right into the sights, sounds, and smells of the kitchens and homes where his grandparents and parents passed down the “Appalachian ways.” Whether it was helping a neighbor make lye soap or watching his mom make snow cream, he pulls readers into a corner of the world where people made do with what the seasons and mother nature provided. Familiar, tried-and-true recipes capture Appalachia: bloody butcher cornbread; “pennies, dollars, and gold” pot pie; Grandmaw’s pepperoni rolls; green tomato pie. His “I reckon you could” side notes allow for experimentation while essays on topics like West Virginia Day and the holiday Belsnickel capture a slice of life that can only be found in the hollers.
Get Back In the Kitchen
Access hundreds of recipes, cook alongside your favorite Southern chefs, and subscribe to exclusive newsletters with our Cookbook Club.
Join NowLooking for more ideas? Join our Cookbook Club!
keep reading
Cookbook Club
4 Cookbook Stores To Fill Your Mind and Plate | Listen
Visit these four charming cookbook stores across the United States dedicated to all things recipes, food pathways, and culinary cultures.
Cookbook Club
6 of the Season’s Most Exciting Cookbooks | Listen
Our editor-in-chief shares six cookbooks that are getting her excited for the season and five she hopes to gift over the summer.
Cookbook Club
A Q&A with Editor-in-Chief Erin Byers Murray
Our editor-in-chief, Erin Byers Murray, shares the stories behind her latest cookbook collaboration, Everyday Chef.
share
Erin Byers Murray
Erin Byers Murray has been digging into stories about food and wine for more than twenty years. Based in Nashville, she is the editor-in-chief of The Local Palate and has authored or co-authored half a dozen books, including deep dives into oysters and grits, as well as several cookbooks. Her work has been published in multiple publications, including Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, the Boston Globe, and three editions of Best Food Writing.