Cookbook Review: Bon Appetit, Y'All

Looking for a terrific collection of "southern cooking" recipes? Bon Appetit, Y'All: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking,by Virginia Willis will delight native southerners as well as those from other areas who are interested in learning more about the region's revered cuisine. Not your typical southern cookbook, the recipes in this book carry with them a French flair, thanks to the author's unique background (see "About the Author" below).

This book is a delight to the senses. It's as beautiful and fun to look at as it is practical. You'll delight in the amazingly beautiful food photography that accompanies many of the more than 200 delightful recipes in the book.

My Favorite Recipes From Bon Appetit, Y'All

Being a native of the south, it's hard for me to narrow down my favorite recipes from this terrific cookbook to just a few. Everything I've tried so far is absolutely superb. A few of the must-try dishes in Bon Appetit, Y'All include:

• Bourbon Sweet Potatoes (This dish is nothing at all like the traditional sweet potato casserole served on holiday occasions. Whether you like those types of sweet potatoes or not, you're likely to find this particular recipe divine.)
• Buttermilk Cornbread (There is nothing better than hot, fresh from the oven buttermilk cornbread slathered with real butter. Yum!)
• Meme's Fried Green Tomatoes (If you're not a southerner, you might find the idea of fried green tomatoes to be unusual or unappealing. If that's the case, you couldn't be more wrong! Fried green tomatoes are something that everyone has to try at least once. I haven't come across a single person who doesn't like them yet.)
• Georgia Pecan Brownies (In the south, brownies just aren't finished unless they have a good helping of pecans served in the batter. Try them, you'll never go back to plain brownies or walnuts again!)
• Meme's Blackberry Cobbler (This is another southern tradition, and the recipe in this book is super. It reminds me of the many summer childhood afternoons spent with my mom picking blackberries in the "country".

About the Author

Virginia Willis has a unique perspective when it comes to cooking. She grew up enjoying consummate southern cuisine prepared by her mother and grandmother, and then went on to become a classically trained French chef. The recipes is Bon Appetit, Y'All reflect her love of both types of cuisine, so you'll find gourmet touches used in what's often thought of as traditional, "down home" cooking.