“A destination book filled with tales of intrigue and eccentricity . . . [about] a distinct strain of hot tamales born deep in the Mississippi Delta.” —Eat Y’all Several theories surround the traditional Delta tamale. Some trace it back to Mexican and Italian immigrants, while others say the Delta version of the hand-held meal is a spin on the old African American food called “cush.” One thing not disputed is the popularity. From hot tamale legends Joe Pope, Shine Thornton and the Scott family to current chefs, the traditions and the secret recipes live on. Writer and historian Anne Martin showcases the stories behind the traditional Delta hot tamale, as well as the countless variations of the delicacy found within the region. “Author Anne Martin explains in her new book about the Mississippi Delta’s own version of hot tamales and why they have remained a staple of Delta cuisine for generations . . . Even if you’ve never tasted ‘the Delta’s favorite food,’ Martin’s book will have you running for the nearest hot tamale stand.” —Today in Mississippi “Delta Hot Tamales: History, Stories & Recipes is not a traditional cookbook by any means. The book uses local food as a lens to explore the rich culture and history of an often misunderstood area in an often misunderstood state.” —Eat Y’all “Serves up a historical record and a thorough look at the current status of this distinctive culinary treat.” —Clarion Ledger

Several theories surround the traditional Delta tamale. Some trace it back to Mexican and Italian immigrants, while others say the Delta version of the hand-held meal is a spin on the old African American food called "cush." One thing not disputed is the popularity. From hot tamale legends Joe Pope, Shine Thornton and the Scott family to current chefs, the traditions and the secret recipes live on. Writer and historian Anne Martin showcases the stories behind the traditional Delta hot tamale, as well as the countless variations of the delicacy found within the region.

Several theories surround the traditional Delta tamale. Some trace it back to Mexican and Italian immigrants, while others say the Delta version of the hand-held meal is a spin on the old African American food called cush. One thing not disputed is the popularity. From hot tamale legends Joe Pope, Shine Thornton and the Scott family to current chefs, the traditions and the secret recipes live on. Writer and historian Anne Martin showcases the stories behind the traditional Delta hot tamale, as well as the countless variations of the delicacy found within the region."

The Mississippi Delta is a complicated and fascinating place. Part travel guide, part cookbook, and part photo essay, Eat Drink Delta by veteran food journalist Susan Puckett (with photographs by Delta resident Langdon Clay) reveals a region shaped by slavery, civil rights, amazing wealth, abject deprivation, the Civil War, a flood of biblical proportions, and—above all—an overarching urge to get down and party with a full table and an open bar. There’s more to Delta dining than southern standards. Puckett uncovers the stories behind convenience stores where dill pickles marinate in Kool-Aid and diners where tabouli appears on plates with fried chicken. She celebrates the region’s hot tamale makers who follow the time-honored techniques that inspired many a blues lyric. And she introduces us to a new crop of Delta chefs who brine chicken in sweet tea and top stone-ground Mississippi grits with local pond-raised prawns and tomato confit. The guide also provides a taste of events such as Belzoni’s World Catfish Festival and Tunica’s Wild Game Cook-Off and offers dozens of tested recipes, including the Memphis barbecue pizza beloved by Elvis and a lemon ice-box pie inspired by Tennessee Williams. To William Faulkner’s suggestion, “To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi,” Susan Puckett adds this advice: Go to the Delta with an open mind and an empty stomach. Make your way southward in a journey measured in meals, not miles.

A Good Meal Is Hard to Find is more than just a cookbook: it's a love letter to the women and food of the Deep South. With charming narratives, visual storytelling, and delectable recipes, A Good Meal Is Hard to Find is everything you've ever wanted in a Southern cookbook. Inside are 60 go-to recipes organized into five chapters—Morning's Glories, Lingering Lunches, Dinner Dates & Late-Night Takes, Afternoon Pick-Me-Ups, and Anytime Sweets. Written by award-winning cookbook author and Southern food expert Martha Hall Foose. • Each of the 60 recipes opens with a short vignette about a story about a unique Southern character. • Divided into five chapters from breakfast to dinner, with cocktails and desserts in between • Recipes paired with gorgeous, vintage-inspired oil paintings by Amy C. Evans Inspired by generations of storytelling and Southern comfort food, this genre-bending cookbook is a must-have for cookbook lovers, vintage collectors, and Southern cooking enthusiasts alike. Recipes include Francine's Strawberry-Glazed Doughnuts, Camille's Bridge Club Egg Salad, The Suzy B's Spinach and Mushroom Frito Pie, Stella's Harissa Gold Chicken, and Estelle's Butterscotch Pound Cake.• Master the art of traditional Southern cooking and soul food. • Perfect for fans of Poole's: Recipes and Stores from a Modern Diner by Ashley Christensen, Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines, and Heritage by Sean Brock • A great cookbook for readers of Southern Living and Garden & Gun

Gifted chef and storyteller Martha Hall Foose invites you into her kitchen to share recipes that bring alive the landscape, people, and traditions that make Southern cuisine an American favorite. Born and raised in Mississippi, Foose cooks Southern food with a contemporary flair: Sweet Potato Soup is enhanced with coconut milk and curry powder; Blackberry Limeade gets a lift from a secret ingredient–cardamom; and her much-ballyhooed Sweet Tea Pie combines two great Southern staples–sweet tea and pie, of course–to make one phenomenal signature dessert. The more than 150 original recipes are not only full of flavor, but also rich with local color and characters. As the executive chef of the Viking Cooking School, teaching thousands of home cooks each year, Foose crafts recipes that are the perfect combination of delicious, creative, and accessible. Filled with humorous and touching tales as well as useful information on ingredients, techniques, storage, shortcuts, variations, and substitutions, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea is a must-have for the American home cook–and a must-read for anyone who craves a return to what cooking is all about: comfort, company, and good eating.

The James Beard Award-winning chef shares stories of Southern life and recipes from his renowned Mississippi restaurants in this illustrated cookbook. In this irreverent yet serious look at contemporary Southern food, Chef John Currence shares 130 recipes organized by 10 different techniques, such as Simmering, Slathering, Pickling, and Smoking, just to name a few. Then John spices things up with colorful stories of his upbringing in New Orleans, his time living in Europe, and more—plus insightful reflections on today’s Southern culinary landscape. Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey features John’s one-of-a-kind recipes for Pickled Sweet Potatoes, Whole Grain Guinness Mustard, Deep South “Ramen” with a Fried Poached Egg, Rabbit Cacciatore, Smoked Endive, Fire-Roasted Cauliflower, and Kitchen Sink Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Each recipe is paired with a song and the complete playlist can be downloaded at spotify.com. The book also features more than 100 color photographs by Angie Mosier.

Shares the author's Middle East culinary adventures, the lifestyle tips she gleaned from such hostesses as Pat Buckley and Pearl Bailey, and her experiences with throwing and attending upscale themed dinner parties.

New Yorkers Grant and his girlfriend Mariah decided on a whim to buy an old plantation house in the Mississippi Delta. This is their journey of discovery to a remote, isolated strip of land, three miles beyond the tiny community of Pluto. They learn to hunt, grow their own food, and fend off alligators, snakes, and varmints galore. They befriend an array of unforgettable local characters, capture the rich, extraordinary culture of the Delta, and delve deeply into the Delta's lingering racial tensions. As the nomadic Grant learns to settle down, he falls not just for his girlfriend but for the beguiling place they now call home.

A surprisingly wide-ranging journey into the story of this beloved dish and “an utterly fascinating discourse on food history” (The Daily Beast). Intellectually engaging and deliciously readable, this is a stereotype-defying history of how one of the most recognizable symbols of Italian cuisine and national identity is the product of centuries of encounters, dialogue, and exchange. Is it possible to identify a starting point in history from which everything else unfolds—a single moment that can explain the present and reveal the essence of who we are? According to Massimo Montanari, this is just a myth. Historical phenomena can only be understood dynamically—by looking at how events and identities develop and change as a result of encounters and combinations that are often unexpected. As he shows in this lively, brilliant, and surprising essay, finding the origin of spaghetti—or anything else—is not as simple as it may seem. By tracing the history of the one of Italy’s “national dishes” —from Asia to America, from Africa to Europe; from the beginning of agriculture to the Middle Ages and up to the twentieth century—he reveals that in order to understand our own identity, we almost always need to look beyond ourselves to other cultures, peoples, and traditions. “Montanari’s research will delight readers and provide plenty of fodder for dinner-table discussion.” —Booklist “Full of delicious details.” —Publishers Weekly