Michael Twitty

Recipes from the American South celebrates Southern food’s memory keepers and practitioners. These aren’t just recipes; they are the pleasure and pain of millions who have come before and the legacy of those to come.

Building on the foundation of his James Beard Award-winning memoir The Cooking Gene, Twitty once again brings his unparalleled scholarship, lived experience, and eloquent storytelling to his exploration of the South, showcasing the complexity of its food traditions, influenced by European, Indigenous, African, and immigrant communities. 

In this essential volume, Twitty offers a broad view of the culinary sweep of Southern history and its many cultures, declaring “The South is not a monolith; no state or area can provide the breadth of the Southern story or fully set the Southern table,” bringing to life everything from timeless classics to lesser-known regional specialties. 

Like Southern culture, Southern food is a product of fortunate collisions, cooperation, and sometimes chaos or confusion. Was “Sally Lunn” an English corruption of the French soleil lune? Is “barbecue” French, Taíno, or Hausa? Is the datil pepper Minorcan or Mandinka? Can a collard green fill an empanada, be stir-fried, go into a spring roll, or be stuffed for the Jewish Sukkot? Is Brunswick stew Virginian, Carolinian, or Georgian? How do we make room for okra soup, gumbo, red rice and jambalaya, Hoppin’ John, and red beans and rice? The Southern way, with hospitality, resourcefulness, celebration, and survival, undergird the legends and myths behind its staple ingredients.

Each of the 260+ recipes include a generous headnote, blending personal anecdote, culinary insight, and historical background empowering home cooks with the knowledge and flavors of a deeply storied region. “Breads, Biscuits & Breakfasts” features heritage-rich staples like ice box rolls, angel biscuits, and Sally Lunn bread, inviting readers to wake up to the warmth of tradition. “Vegetables” and “Soups, Stews & Casseroles” go beyond sides to showcase the agrarian legacy of the South—where the garden is central and the pot tells a story. “Mains” presents the hearty dishes that define the region: classic fried chicken, smothered pork chops, shrimp and grits, and old-world venison stew. “Desserts” are a celebration in themselves, with buttermilk-glazed fig cake, coconut custard pie, and Cajun-style fried dough bringing Southern sweetness to life.

Michael W. Twitty is an acclaimed culinary historian, and author of the two-times James Beard Award-winning book The Cooking Gene, as well as Rice and Koshersoul. He has written for many publications and been featured throughout print and broadcast media, including the Guardian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, PBS, and NPR’s The Splendid Table. He has given over 500 public talks and appeared in numerous series, including Taste the Nation and High on the Hog.