In this book: all the cooking artistry, the gift for teaching, the clear, relaxed, confidence-inspiring tone that have won an enthusiastic nationwide audience for the author's twenty-six-part public television series, "New Southern Cooking with Nathalie Dupree." Every dish she cooks on her television series is here, and a great many more -- 350 recipes in all, encompassing the best of Southern culinary tradition and innovation: simple dishes, elaborate dishes, dishes for every meal, course, and occasion, dishes ranging from a timeless, crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth biscuit to a tantalizing and unexpectedly delicious Grilled Duck with Muscadine Sauce. You'll find all the incomparable old-time flavors and textures -- embodied in such classic delights as black-eyed peas, fried chicken with the crustiest of coatings, country ham, peach cobbler. and all the new lightness and new twists that mark today's innovative Southern cooking -- expressed in such recipes as Acadian Peppered Shrimp (made tangy with just the right touches of basil, garlic, oregano, and cayenne) . chicken breasts with stir-fried collards and peanuts . grouper grilled over a pecan fire . Nathalie Dupree shows us how to get that Southern aura of comfort and welcome into our meals. She draws on the hearty country cooking and elegant town fare of the various regions of the South and on the many cuisines that have profoundly influenced Southern cooking from its beginnings -- English, French, African, Spanish,' West Indian.

She has provided a wonderfully wide-ranging selection of Southern recipes remarkable for their ease of preparation and perfectly in tune with the pace of our lives today -including the best-ever spoon breads and dumplings . the most delicious pies and cakes . the freshest of greens (try them with coriander seed and browned butter) . aromatic dishes like Pulled Pork and Sage Spread . refreshing desserts like Oranges in Ginger-Caramel Sauce. And to use these dishes in perfect harmony she offers forty enticing menus for all kinds of occasions. Whether you're cooking for guests or the folks at home, or planning a backyard barbecue (there are twenty-two barbecue recipes alone!) or a big gala party, you'll find here -- for years to come -- an abundant supply of irresistible dishes.