Bon Appetit, Y'all

December 3, 2007
The playful title of this Southern-French cookbook belies its studious attitude to cookery. Willis, a chef who has cooked for the White House and stars like Aretha Franklin and Jane Fonda, grew up in Georgia and Louisiana, absorbing her mother's and grandmother's repertoire of grits, casseroles and gumbos before developing her professional skills at French cooking academies. The result is a hybrid cuisine she calls “refined Southern,” which applies traditional French technique and lighter ingredients to produce new versions of Southern staples. Her collard greens are cooked up with smoked salt instead of hog jowl; her cornbread is dressed with panko. Sprinkled liberally throughout are the Southern ingredients that Willis was raised on: Vidalia onions, okra, Georgia pecans and peaches. Willis's approach is faithful, yet she's unafraid to reinvent culinary clichés when necessary—like making pimiento cheese from scratch. Some of her creations—like a “tipsy” salad, riffing on the frat boy combo of watermelon and vodka; Yukon Gold and Edamame Mash; and Coca-Cola Glazed Baby Back Ribs—elevate mundane flavors with sheer ingenuity. Magnificent color photos; detailed, helpful tips; and Willis's cheerful, trustworthy guidance make this an original and welcome newcomer to a classic cookbook library.

May 15, 2008
Willis, a food writer, cooking teacher, and cooking show producer, trained in France, but she grew up cooking with her mother and her maternal grandmother, Meme. The recipes in her first book are, as the title indicates, a mixture of classic French cooking and what she calls "refined Southern cuisine"e.g., Vidalia Onion Confit with Garlic Toasts, Herb Roast Chicken with Pan Sauce, and Pecan Lamb Chops. The recipe instructions are detailed, and there are numerous sidebars on ingredients and techniques, as well as color photographs of many of the dishes. For regional cooking collections and other larger libraries.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2008
Although Willis has trained in Frances finest kitchens, her heart dwells nostalgically in her deep roots in Americas South. Her grandmother and mother, both adventuresome cooks, were skilled at whipping up southern classic dishes as well asreproducing dishes shown each week on Julia Childs television series. Willis takes pains to treat the whole of this tradition respectfully. Thus, she presents quintessentially southern cheese straws (interestingly enough, baked by her grandfather) next to similar, yet thoroughly French, goug'res. Fried chicken takes its customary top spot among the poultry recipes, but there are many less-caloric propositions for dealing with one of the Souths favorite meats. Shellfish dominate seafood offerings, and both Cajun and Creole traditions appear. Southern baking wouldnt exist without biscuits, and Willis presents clear instructions for making both yeast and baking-powder versions. To crown these biscuits, Willis has recipes for both jams and jellies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)