Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories

Fifth-generation Tennessean Byrn (American Cake) provides an encyclopedia of Southern baked goods in this masterful and extensive collection encompassing the region’s sweet and savory offerings, from cracklin’ cornbread flecked with pork to bourbon-laced green tomato pie. The recipes, culled from magazines, historical cookbooks, and regional chefs, divide into cornbread and biscuits, quick bakes, griddle cakes and fritters, rolls and yeast-raised cakes, puddings, pies, cakes, and cookies and frostings. No-nonsense tips for delectable yet achievable recipes, each served up with a dollop of culinary history, precede pages of precise instructions for tackling baking challenges. (“The best way to learn to bake biscuits is just to bake them,” is Byrn’s frank advice.) Standouts include Bellegarde heirloom biscuits sweetened with maple syrup; an indulgent layered Arkansas Possum Pie with a pecan crust; and a clutch of rich pound cakes, including a recipe created by Georgia Gilmore for cakes which were sold to raise funds during the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott. Gorgeous photographs will get mouths watering while vignettes about Southern pantry staples like White Lilly Flour and profiles of lesser-known food personalities like New Orleans chef Lena Richard add welcome context. This is a treasure trove. (Sept.)