While the hindquarters of swine have been preserved in salt the world over for thousands of years, there are only a few places on earth where ham is as celebrated or integral to the cuisine as it is in the American South. To begin to understand the place that this iconic food holds in the hearts of southerners, Damon Lee Fowler writes, one has only to step into the historic smokehouse of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and take a deep breath. More than a century after the last hams were hung to smoke in that chamber, the aroma of salt, smoke, and air-dried pork still permeates the rough masonry walls and clay floor, filling the air with its earthy perfume. Even after centuries of culinary transformations throughout the South, that fragrance lingers in kitchens throughout the region. Ham's 55 recipes bring home the love in just about every way-brine- or dry-cured, smoked or not, boiled, baked, glazed, honey-baked and spiral cut, thin-sliced and piled into biscuits and sandwiches, fried up with eggs, with grits, with redeye gravy, added for savor to soups, casseroles, poultry, seafood, and, yes, the vegetable pot. Fowler also includes recipes inspired by Chinese, French, Italian, and Spanish dishes, and provides a guide to basic terminology and cooking methods.

While the hindquarters of swine have been preserved in salt the world over for thousands of years, there are only a few places on earth where ham is as celebrated or integral to the cuisine as it is in the American South. To begin to understand the place that this iconic food holds in the hearts of southerners, Damon Lee Fowler writes, one has only to step into the historic smokehouse of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and take a deep breath. More than a century after the last hams were hung to smoke in that chamber, the aroma of salt, smoke, and air-dried pork still permeates the rough masonry walls and clay floor, filling the air with its earthy perfume. Even after centuries of culinary transformations throughout the South, that fragrance lingers in kitchens throughout the region. Ham's 55 recipes bring home the love in just about every way-brine- or dry-cured, smoked or not, boiled, baked, glazed, honey-baked and spiral cut, thin-sliced and piled into biscuits and sandwiches, fried up with eggs, with grits, with redeye gravy, added for savor to soups, casseroles, poultry, seafood, and, yes, the vegetable pot. Fowler also includes recipes inspired by Chinese, French, Italian, and Spanish dishes, and provides a guide to basic terminology and cooking methods.

An authentic collection of recipes celebrating Southern traditions.Southern cooking as most people think of it doesn't exist. After all, there are as many ways to make real corn bread, gumbo or fried chicken as there are cooks. Instead of dwelling on conventional notions of authenticity, Essentials of Southern Cooking honors the spirit, the history, the people, and the taste of the classic Southern table by focusing on the essence of great Southern food and combining traditional ingredients in fresh ways. In this tempting collection of over 200 recipes, author Damon Lee Fowler balances the enduring appeal of rural Southern flavors with the modern sensibilities of today's cook. It's an engaging and informative look at the heritage of Southern cuisine.Sampling of recipes:Creamy Chicken Pot PiesSweet Potato CobblerScalloped OystersLowcountry Crab au Gratin Baked Vidalia Sweet Onions with Ham Bourbon-Grilled Flank SteakShrimp EtouffeePecan-Crusted Cat FishButter-Bean and Okra RagoutOld-Fashioned Southern Shortcake