dear cooks,

From the nation's most passionate southern-food evangelists (and James Beard Award-winning cookbook authors) comes a collection of recipes that celebrates fresh ingredients and adds a kick of modernity without sacrificing an ounce of deep southern flavor. These South Carolinians grew up immersed in the traditions of long-simmered gumbos, fish-fry marathons, and whole-hog barbecues—but they know that home cooks are pressed for time. So here are more than 100 straightforward but sophisticated Down South dishes—like Shrimp Pâté, Easy Chicken and Dumplings, and Buttermilk Pudding Cakes with Sugared Raspberries. Plus, you'll get more than a few lessons in southern cooking techniques that suit a busy lifestyle, including stovetop smoking and quick pickling.

Mastering Cheese

about the book

Maître fromager Max McCalman, Dean of Curriculum at the Artisanal Premium Cheese Center and author of The Cheese Plate and Cheese, is steeped in the world of artisanal cheeses like no one else. In Mastering Cheese, he shares the wealth of his expertise to help cheese lovers on their path to connoisseurship.

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Living with Wine

about the book

Some of America's most passionate oenophiles have re-invented the wine cellar as an inviting and beautiful part of the home.

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Lemon-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
From The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern

Serves 4

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat the oven to 325°F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1-inch-thick slices. Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with the butter. Arrange the sweet potato disks in a single layer in the pan. Mix the brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl, and pour the glaze mixture evenly over the potatoes.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for about 5 more minutes, until the glaze has thickened and become syrupy. Serve immediately. (The glazed sweet potatoes can be cooked in advance, stored in the refrigerator, and reheated in a warm oven.)