In this paperback edition of a classic cookbook, one of the South's foremost cooking authorities assembles more than 150 down-home dishes inspired by the gracious traditions, regional cooking techniques, and mouthwatering ingredients of her Southern heritage. From Hearty Chicken and Ham Gumbo to Kentucky Spiced Beef, from Old-Fashioned Greens with Bacon to New Orleans Praline Ice Cream, the recipes in this lusciously illustrated, easy-to-use cookbook are rich with nostalgia and inspired by their blend of hearty Southern flavors and textures. Appetizers, soups, salads, meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, breads, grains, desserts--they are all here in abundance, and they all add up to beautifully orchestrated meals any cook would be proud to serve. The rich photographs, specially commissioned for this volume--and helpful sidebars, covering such subjects as how to shuck an oyster and how to roast a chicken to perfection-- assure success to cooks at every level. It's a true "cook's tour" of the American South, guided by the deft hand of a master cook and entertainer.