Southern Specialties

Bert Gill is chef-owner of Blue Gill Quality Foods, Mildred’s Big City Food, and New Deal Café in Gainesville, Florida. Gill has also founded a farm-to-table food organization in Florida, raised awareness of local crops and healthy eating habits, and mentored aspiring chefs who have taken up his skills and ethos in successful culinary careers throughout the United States. Pickled, Fried, and Fresh: Bert Gill's Southern Flavors (University Press of Florida) showcases the unique personality of Gill’s local foodscape—a region with multiple harvests throughout the year and access to fresh catch from both coasts. His cookbook represents how Florida chefs are using local ingredients to create their own exciting niche in southern cuisine.

Nancie McDermott is a food writer, cooking teacher, and author of 10 cookbooks, including, Southern Pies, Southern Cakes, and The Curry Book, among others. Southern Soups & Stews: More Than 75 Recipes from Burgoo and Gumbo to Etouffée and Fricassee (Chronicle Books) is her latest book. Home cooks throughout the American South treasure time-honored recipes for hearty soups and satisfying stews savored year after year. Often passed down through the generations, the dishes detailed in this book are cherished and shared at family gatherings, holiday feasts, and community suppers throughout the seasons. These recipes serve up soups and stews seasoned with history—from Nathalie Dupree's Lowcountry Okra and Shrimp Gumbo to Summer Squash Soup with Black Pepper and Thyme, to Collard Greens with Pot Likker and Dumplings—offering us a glimpse of how people farmed, cooked, and continue to celebrate life over time.

Nathalie Dupree is the author of thirteen cookbooks, including Shrimp and Grits and Southern Biscuits. She has hosted more than 300 television shows and specials that have shown nationally on PBS, Food Network, and The Learning Channel. James Beard Award winners Cynthia Graubart and Dupree have excerpted their best vegetable recipes (plus added some new ones) in this timely collection, Mastering the Art of Southern Vegetables. Organized alphabetically by vegetable, each section begins with instructions on how to prepare and cook the vegetable, and is followed by favorite new and classic recipes. Also included are a selection of vinaigrettes and sauces, plus a roasting chart for an array of vegetables.