The introductory chapters discusses the geography and inhabitants of the South along with the cuisines of each region. A page titled Southern Pantry is filled with a list of essential ingredients for preparing most, if not all the dishes in the book. In each chapter scattered among the recipes are invaluable tips and hints for food preparation, storage, techniques and so much more!
The recipes begin with Appetizers, there are 5 ways to serve figs, plus recipes for squash blossoms, wings, crab cakes, sausage balls, fritters, frog legs, plus a few tarts, dips & spreads, pate, roasted peanuts and of course pimento cheese. In the Salads section, there is ambrosia, many variations on other fruit salads (peach, pineapple, watermelon) and salads made with greens/vegetables (collards, beets, asparagus, cucumbers, fennel, onions and green beans), coleslaw (and a carrot slaw), plus the usual potato, sweet potato, aspic, chicken, tuna, shrimp and egg. I did find a recipe for a crab, mango and avocado salad (three of my favorite foods!) that I will be trying in the future. Of course there are also recipes for dressings, vinaigrette and homemade mayo too.
Stock, Soups, Gumbos & Stew offers insights on equipment and types of stock, plus recipes - including one for corncob stock. The soups are both hot and cold, made with fruit (melons, berries, peach), veggies (tomatoes, beets, butter beans, carrots and corn), seafood (she crab and turtle) or meat (oxtail and chili). A long and complicated recipe for fish muddle takes up two entire pages. There are gumbos galore - including a roast chicken and one made with duck - and for stews - oyster, crab and tomato. The Vegetables & Sides chapter delves in to the multitudes of ways to prepare just about every vegetable found in your average grocery store (artichokes, cabbage, beans, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, greens and okra, etc.) plus there is a treatise on potatoes with information on types and techniques for mashing. There is a two page discourse on Grits and accompanying recipes, plus rice dishes (pilau and dirty), dressing/stuffing (made with cornbread or rice) and a lovely recipe for mac and cheese (which is considered a vegetable in the South!).
Eggs also has a wealth of information on cooking and storing techniques, plus recipes for eggs Benedict, omelets, custards, souffles and spoon bread. The Fish & Seafood section delves into the many ways to prepare fish (grilling, roasting, in a leaf pouch, fried, steamed, curried and sauteed), plus there are recipes for crabs (including the soft shell variety), crawfish (seafood boil), clams, shrimp and oysters. A big bonus of this chapter is the wealth of information on buying, storing, prepping (including cleaning and skinning), cooking and freezing both fish and various types of seafood.
Poultry is next with numerous ways to prepare chicken, turkey, quail and duckling ~ including Country Captain and a bog ~ and there are photo instructions on how to carve a bird. The Meats chapter starts with pork (tenderloin, medallions, roast, chops, ribs (coca cola glaze), crown roast, sausage, ham, chitlins and cracklings), plus instructions on cooking a WHOLE suckling pig (with a diagram noting every part!), plus beef (tenderloin, filets, roast, stew (oxtail), brisket, meatloaf, ribs and steaks (including chicken fried) and lamb (grilled, chops and rack).
Moving on to the Bread chapter, there are facts on flour types, techniques for baking with yeast, equipment and hints for biscuit making and of course the recipes: muffins, popovers, coffee cake, crepes, pancakes & waffles, griddle and hoe cakes, biscuits, cornbread (sticks & muffins), artisan bread, rolls, Sally Lunn and beignets. Pastries & Pies starts us on the sweet treats with 10+ pages of different crusts and doughs, plus phyllo cups and puff pastry (the better to make cream puffs!), plus an assortment of recipes for tarts, pies, tassies and croustades.
In addition to helpful information on equipment, ingredients and technique, the dishes in Cakes range from cobblers, batter cakes (even one made with Coke), fruitcake, pound cake, 1-2-3-4 cake (found in many a church cookbook), the classics: yellow, white & chocolate, plus caramel, coconut, daffodil and cheesecake. Of course there are glazes and icings too. Memorable Sweets covers cookies (shortbread, crescents, wafers & bars), meringues (Pavlova), souffles, mousse, brownies, fudge, pudding & custards (flan and rice among others), ice cream and sauces, plus candy (brittle, pralines, divinity and candied fruit).
The last section is all about Condiments, Savory Sauces & Marinades ~ there are recipes for pickles & relish, peach butter, jams, jellies & preserves, and marmalade, plus invaluable info on types of thickeners, sauces (white, roux, Hollandaise, marinara, BBQ and remoulade, with salsa, rubs and flavored butters rounding out the chapter.
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