Style Blueprint: 10 New Southern Cookbooks You Need
From Lowcountry cuisine and homemade biscuits to Texas-inspired cocktails, here are 10 new Southern cookbooks you need to keep in your kitchen!
June 3, 2022
It’s no secret the South is home to some well-known chefs and restaurants, but did you know many of these culinary masterminds and hotspots have released their own cookbooks? Thanks to this trend, you can now learn how to make their famous dishes at home. Whether your preferred cuisine is Cajun, barbecue, or something from the Lowcountry, here are 10 new Southern cookbooks you need in your kitchen!
10 New Southern Cookbooks You Need
Hot Little Suppers: Simple Recipes to Feed Family and Friends
Written by Carrie Morey, founder of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, Hot Little Suppers features some of Carrie’s favorite recipes to serve loved ones. The book offers over 120 recipes divided by season — from low-maintenance meals to more involved recipes you can whip up on the weekends. Standout dishes include meatloaf with crispy onions, fried green tomatoes, and tangy Thai chicken salad. Plus, each chapter includes “Hot Little Tips” from Carrie that give you suggestions on how to involve your kids when cooking, sides and drinks that pair well with the book’s recipes, and tips for feeding a large crowd.
In addition to delicious recipes, Hot Little Suppers includes beautiful photography and helpful cooking tips. Image: Amazon
Southern Grit: 100+ Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Cook
Southern Grit is written by Alabama native and the 2016 winner of “Top Chef,” Kelsey Barnard Clark. You’ll find classic Southern recipes with a delicious, modern twist throughout her book, including Kelsey’s Bomb Nachos, Roasted Chicken and Drippin’ Veggies, and Savannah Peach Sangria. Not only is each recipe jam-packed with nostalgia and flavor, but Kelsey welcomes all skill levels to try her recipes, as her dishes are relatively easy to make. In addition to over 100 original recipes, Kelsey also includes tips on how to best stock your pantry, host the ultimate gathering, and prepare your house for guests.
Southern Grit by Kelsey Barnard Clark includes over 100 Southern recipes for every type of occasion or gathering. Image: Amazon
Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day
You may have visited one of pitmaster Rodney Scott’s restaurants in South Carolina, Alabama, or Georgia, but now you can bring home a taste of his famous barbecue, thanks to Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ. In his debut cookbook, Rodney shares secrets like what makes his barbecued spare ribs so tender and how to recreate his award-winning whole hog. Whether you’re a barbecue expert or just starting out, Rodney’s recipes are equal parts delicious and achievable. The book is co-written by award-winning writer Lolis Eric Elie and includes heartwarming stories about Rodney’s journey from working in tobacco fields with his father to moving to Charleston, SC, to become a barbecue maven.
You can recreate James Beard Award-winning barbecue recipes using Rodney Scott’s new cookbook! Image: Amazon
Just A Few Miles South: Timeless Recipes from Our Favorite Places
Ouita Michel is known for her slew of award-winning Kentucky restaurants — from Holly Hill Inn in Midway to Smithtown Seafood in Lexington. If you’ve ever visited one of her culinary hotspots, you know there’s something genuinely unique about Ouita’s sustainable, farm-to-table cuisine. In her new cookbook, Just A Few Miles South, you can find recipes for dishes like a Bluegrass Benedict Breakfast Sandwich, Ouita’s Sardou Panini, Honeywood’s Hoecake Burger, and many more. Plus, the chefs behind each recipe share the inspiration and stories behind their dishes.
Just A Few Miles South by Ouita Michel teaches readers how to make traditional Southern dishes like buttermilk biscuits and po’boy sandwiches. Image: Amazon
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island
Emily Meggett has admittedly never used a cookbook, but she recently released her own (and very first!) cookbook — Gullah Geechee Home Cooking — at nearly 90 years old. As the title suggests, Emily is often called “the matriarch of Edisto Island,” a South Carolina sea island where enslaved African Americans of the Gullah Geechee heritage were isolated in the 1800s. Today, Emily is a well-respected member of the Gullah Geechee community and shares her love of food with friends, family, and strangers alike. Her cookbook offers over 100 delicious recipes, including her famous red fried rice, fresh mashed potatoes, butter beans, hush puppies, and more.
Learn how to whip up authentic Gullah Geechee cuisine with Emily Meggett’s new cookbook, Gullah Geechee Home Cooking. Image: Amazon
Taste the State: South Carolina’s Signature Foods, Recipes, and Their Stories
South Carolina has a rich food history, and Taste the State by Kevin Mitchell and David S. Shields takes a deep dive into 82 of the state’s signature ingredients — from Carolina Gold rice to Charleston Wakefield cabbage. Using these ingredients alongside illustrations and historical photographs, the two experts share authentic South Carolina recipes and the stories behind them. They also discuss the impact different groups of people have had on South Carolina’s food scene, including the contributions of Native Americans, the Gulla Geechee people, and European settlers. Throughout the book, you can find traditional recipes for shrimp and grits, chicken bog, okra soup, crab rice, and more.
Take a trip to South Carolina without leaving your home by picking up a copy of Taste the State. Image: Amazon
Southern Ground: Reclaiming Flavor Through Stone-Milled Flour
Jennifer Lapidus is the founder and owner of Carolina Ground Flour, a micro mill in Asheville, NC. She recently released her debut cookbook Southern Ground, which includes over 80 recipes from 20 well-known bakeries across the South. Throughout her book, Jennifer includes profiles of the bakers featured and discusses the importance of using local ingredients and stone-milled flour when baking. The book also includes stunning photos from Rinne Allen, and recipes include everything from sourdough bread to cookies, cakes, and crackers.
Southern Ground by Jennifer Lapidus features over 80 recipes that use 100% cold stone-milled flour. Image: Amazon
Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking
We’ve raved about Cheryl Day before, so if you haven’t had the chance to snag a copy of Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking, this is your sign! After all, there’s something incredibly comforting about a batch of fluffy homemade biscuits or muffins. Taking inspiration from her grandmother, an enslaved baker, each of Cheryl’s recipes honors her roots and the inspiring women in her life. In addition to down-home recipes, Cheryl also offers tips about becoming a better baker — from properly creaming butter and sugar to adjusting your recipe to the temperature and humidity in your kitchen.
Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking brings a taste of Cherly Day’s bakery, Back in the Day Bakery, into your kitchen. Image: Amazon
Life Is What You Bake It: Recipes, Stories, and Inspiration to Bake Your Way to the Top
Life Is What You Bake It is another great baking-centric cookbook. Courtesy of lawyer-turned-baker Vallery Lomas, her recipes are inspired by her Louisiana roots, time spent living in Paris, and her experience participating in (and winning!) “The Great American Baking Show.” In Vallery’s first cookbook, recipes include her famous One-Bowl Blueberry Buckle, Crawfish Hand Pies, and Grandma’s Million Dollar Cake. Since its release last fall, Vallery’s cookbook has received praise for her heartfelt writing, as she shares life lessons learned during her most difficult hardships and greatest triumphs.
Life Is What You Bake It gives readers a glimpse into Vallery Lomas’ “when life gives you lemons, make lemon curd” mindset. Image: Amazon
Texas Cocktails: The Second Edition: An Elegant Collection of Over 100 Recipes Inspired by the Lone Star State
If you need some cocktail inspiration this summer, look no further! Texas Cocktails: The Second Edition invites readers to drink like a true Texan, offering recipes you’d find in both upscale lounges and hole-in-the-wall dive bars. An updated version of Nico Martini’s cookbook of the same name, this book features new takes on the classic margarita and Harvey Wallbanger, interviews with trendsetting bartenders and mixologists in Texas, a roundup of the best watering holes in the Lone Star State, and more.
Learn how to make cocktails like a classic Paloma and margarita in Texas Cocktails: The Second Edition. Image: Amazon
Enjoy your cooking endeavors!