Southern Living's No Taste Like Home

The Husband and I were beyond excited when we were sent a preview copy of Southern Living's No Taste Like Home: A Celebration of Regional Southern Cooking and Hometown Flavor.  Anyone that knows us, knows that we love to travel.  We have a strong appreciation for different regions and countries and love trying new foods and experiencing different cultures. With that being said, the South is our Home and we adore all things Southern.

This beautiful cookbook contains numerous different recipes from all over the South.  It really goes a long way to dispel the myth that Southern cooking is just fried chicken, grits and biscuits - though don't get me wrong, there are plenty of Southern staple recipes.

The recipes in this book are organized by regions - "The Heart of Dixie", "Cajun Country", "Big, Bold Texas", "The Piedmont & the Mountains", "The Bluegrass, Bourbon & Barbecue Trail" and "The Coastal South".

Recipes included come from celebrities like Duck Dynasty's Kay Robertson, Miranda Lambert, Eva Longoria and Oprah Winfrey, to celebrity chefs such as John Besh, Duff Goldman and Emeril Lagasse.  One of the things we really found interesting is the book's many spotlights on local chefs.

For example, one of the sections in the book is devoted to our neighbor down the road, Charlottesville.  Recipes include Peanut Soup (a Virginia classic!), "Jefferson" Virginia Ham Pasta (a take on carbonara), Orange-Sweet Potato Pie with Rosemary Cornmeal Crust, Bourbon Glazed Ham (Virginia is the Ham Capitol of the World after all), Home-style Green Bean Casserole and Refrigerator Yeast Rolls. The local chefs featured are Dean and Erin Maupin along with their recipe for Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler Pie.  Previously, we've spent all of our time in the area at wineries and breweries, not thinking of Charlottesville as having an amazing dining scene.  Apparently, however, Dean heads up C&O billed by The Washington Post as "the least prepossessing fine dining restaurant in America".  That's a pretty bold statement! We will definitely be checking this place out in the near future.

The cookbook also offers interesting tidbits of information about numerous cities around the South.  For instance, for you Farmer's Market lovers out there, a must-visit in Austin, Texas is the Boggy Creek Farm.  The farm consists of 5 certified organic acres that are turned into a huge farmer's market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. They boast over 100 crops many of which have been grown on the property since the late 1830s and they're also a supplier to Whole Foods!

Some of the recipes from this book on my to-make list include: Southwest Watermelon Salad, Blackberry Cornbread, Bacon-Infused Bourbon, Roasted Butternut Squash Hash with Mulled Sorghum Glaze, Chicken & Duck Pot Pies and Vietnamese Barbecue Tacos.  Is your mouth watering yet?!

This is one of those cookbooks that is chock full of recipes sure to please most tastebuds! Be sure to stay tuned for our recipe reviews from this cookbook!