Southern Food: At Home, on the Road, in History

Any foodie that's living in or heading South needs to read this book. A comprehensive "social history" of southern food spiced up with a few recipes... it's a great read and even though it was written over 20 years ago many of the restaurants mentioned are still in business. I highly recommend this book! M Ivey, Westerville, OH

This book is a must-have for any fan of Southern cooking or serious student of Southern culture. Be warned, though, that about a third of the book is a survey of eating places across the South, and inevitably quite out of date, since the book is fifteen years old. (Well-traveled fans of Southern food might enjoy it from a nostalgic point of view.) Even without that part of the book, however, it is still worth it, and it has a fantastic bibliography.

As a Southerner exiled to the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, John Egerton's SOUTHERN FOOD has been food for the soul. And no matter where you are from, this book offers fascinating historical and cultural information about Southern food and many, many wonderful recipes. I have learned as much about Southern cooking in Wisconsin as I did in all my years back home, all because of this wonderful book. It's charming and often lyrical, immensely well-informed, and points the way to both restaurants and recipes. The barbecue instructions have been a lifesaver. I have bought five or six copies of this book--one because I wore out the first copy, and the others because it makes a great gift for practically anyone.

This is a wonderful book about eating in the South, eating out and eating in, about a whole host of things like family and fellowship that gather around any groaning board in the south, and what you want to eat where and what the people who live there eat, how to cook it and where you're likely to find it at a reasonable price made by food-loving hands. John Egerton clearly ate his way across the south to write this book, and he was careful to stay well off the beaten path. It's anthropology, sociology, recipes, culture and good humor, from the North Carolina mountains to the swamps of Cajun country. This book will make your mouth water and your belly growl, but most of all it's a fine read.