In the South, few things hold more cultural influence than food and country music. When combined, the duo of delicious, Southern-fried food and classic country music is damn near irresistable — a fact that many country music stars realized decades ago. Now, it’s almost common for (female) country artists to release their own cookbooks, which frequently highlight recipes from their family’s past.
And sure, tradition is important in the south, but so is bacon grease. This reality may have something to do with why Southern food is seeing a sort of renaissance in the culinary consciousness. If you’re interested in adding a little southern twang to your menu, these five cookbooks written by some of country’s most famous artists talk the talk and walk the walk.
You’re Cookin’ It Country by Loretta Lynn
Never one to shy away from her identity as a coal miner’s daughter from the hollers of Kentucky, Loretta Lynn’s cuisine is as country-fried as her Appalachian twang. In You’re Cookin’ It Country, Lynn shares her family’s favorite recipes and anecdotes, including a lengthy entry about her father’s favorite meal — possum. You’ll probably want to stick with the tasty, down-home recipes that don’t involve vermin, like Scotch Eggs, Southern Sausage Gravy, and Hashbrown Casserole.
Trisha’s Table: My Feel-Good Recipes For A Balanced Life by Trisha Yearwood
Unfortunately, even Southerners cannot live on shortening and flour alone, and our modern lives (read: no manual labor) demand that we eat a little healthier in 2015 than we did thirty years ago. Trisha Yearwood made her name on the Food Network by cooking up Southern classics, and now, she’s lightening them up for a little balance with Trisha’s Table. Granola parfaits and cinnamon rolls demonstrate this cookbook’s range — from healthy to decadent — and there are plenty of delicious surprises, like pancakes inspired by a traditional Southern hummingbird cake.
