June 2007 Cookbook of the Month: Cast Your Vote Here

[Katie Nell]

My apologies for posting this late- I hate when work gets in the way of my fun and Chowhounding! ;-)

Barely, just barely, the idea of delaying a veggie cookbook for a month won out, so I will be focusing the voting thread in July on that. I've got plenty of great suggestions for vegetable books, and as it was almost 90 degrees here today, I am looking forward to it! This month we will focus on Southern cooking- thanks everyone for this month's suggestions and suggestions in the past as well.

Please cast your vote for ONE of the following:

-- THE LEE BROS. SOUTHERN COOKBOOK: STORIES AND RECIPES FOR SOUTHERNERS AND WOULD-BE SOUTHERNERS, by Matt Lee and Ted Lee

-- TASTE OF COUNTRY COOKING, by Edna Lewis

-- FRANK STITT'S SOUTHERN TABLE: RECIPES FROM THE HIGHLANDS BAR AND GRILL, by Frank Stitt

Please add your votes to this thread. Voting will be open until May 16th. I'll announce the April cookbook of the month on May 17th.

Thanks for participating!

[Katie Nell]

Wow... I thought Stitt's would win for sure, though I'm happy to be able to memorialize Edna Lewis in this way... Taste of Country Cooking it is! Happy cooking everyone!

[Carb Lover]

Thanks for the announcement, Katie Nell! Unfortunately, my library doesn't carry this book so I'll have to read along and cook from Stitt's book that I own to get my southern food fix. I know that you're busy at work these days, but I'll encourage you and others to start looking for online recipes from this book. I'll start googling too...

[NYchowcook]

You can purchase from ecookbooks.com (Jessica's biscuit -- my favorite source) for $10.
http://ecookbooks.com/products.html?r...

[Katie Nell]

I'm sorry it's not in your library and other's as well- I always research that, and since there were 4 copies in the KC library system (which is one of the higher counts of *any* of the books we've done) I thought it wouldn't be an issue. :-( Hopefully, we will be able to find some online links... Dommy!?! :-)

[Carb Lover]

It's interesting to see the regional variations in library collections. $10 to buy Lewis' book sounds like a good deal, but I always like to check books out first before buying. I've checked out tons of cookbooks from my library that I've enjoyed reading or looking through, but it's rare that I actually feel the urge to buy one.

After checking out Stitt's a long time ago, I couldn't pass it up when I saw it for like $15 at my local used bookstore. I've made a few recipes from it, but nothing has been that remarkable for me yet. It's a beautiful book though with a nice narrative quality. I hope to cook from it more throughout the summer.

[Rubee]

Wow - me too. I almost ordered the Stitt book last week.

Thanks Katie for all your hard work. I'm looking forward to Edna Lewis and some Southern cookin'.

I just ordered a used "like new" copy of the 1976 issue. Does anybody know if its any different from the 30th Anniversary edition?

[Candy]

Go ahead and order it, you will not be sorry to have it. Amazon has it for around $26 with free shipping.

[Rubee]

All the encouragement I need, I've been eyeing it for a long time. Thanks Candy - just did!

[chef chicklet]

Thanks for doing this Katie Nell, excited to cook in this one, yup me too, can't get it at the library either, oh darn I have to buy ANOTHER cook book. I'm so bad, I have to smuggle them in now!

[vwgto]

Taste of Country Cooking. My wife has all three of these books, and many others of the same type, which I give her for special occasions. To my surprise, she feels like Taste of Country is the best - - even though I purchased more for nostalgia value.

[Cuoca]

I vote for Taste of Country Cooking. I have this book and it looks wonderful. Thanks for organizing the voting, Katie Nell!

[pikawicca]

No one I know does more Southern cooking or has a more extensive collection of Southern cookbooks than Candy; therefore, I'll happily vote wih her for the Stitt book.

[Mr_J]

Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson, the first cookbook that has inspired me to cook vegetarian. Very good book.

[pitu]

Mr J, the voting is just on the three above - the suggestion thread for June is done.
But I love Heidi's 101Cookbooks blog, and so I just got her book too. Love to do it in a future month, or just post on it in general.

[oakjoan]

I vote for either Edna Lewis' Taste of Country Cooking or the Lee Brothers. I vote solely due to library availability. Actually, Lewis is first because they have her book in my local library.

Neither nearby library systems have Frank Stitt's book(s)

[JasmineG]

Yay, what great choices, thanks Katie Nell! I vote for Edna Lewis, I've been wanting to try one of her cookbooks for a while.

[NYchowcook]

I vote for Lee Bros. Won cookbook of the year from James Beard Foundation.
though I wouldn't be unhappy cooking from Frank Stitt, whose cookbook I also bought and have also not treaded into.
thanks Katie Nell! You're a trooper!

[akp]

Frank Stitt's Southern Table

[pitu]

I'm happy with all Southern for June!
Edna Lewis is my vote
although I have much more experience with the collaboration between her and Scott Peacock, and I suspect more of those are available online. Anyone strongly familiar with them both care to comment?

About the Lees, I'm hesitant because of the inaccuracies people are talking about, although their NYTimes articles are fantastic. Not that I've used any of the recipes, but they produce super fun Southern food writing.

[Candy]

I have all 3 and can never say enough about the Stitt book. I have the Lee book and I know it has received a lot of praise but I have also read it cover to cover and have found inaccuracies, errors and some things that are just wrong. Maybe if the book had a title like the Lee Bros. Book of New Southern Cuisine a recipe for Saigon Hoppin' John would have a place in it, but not in a book that holds itself up to being traditional. There are things I would coook from it. It is interesting to read and will hold your attention if you love southern cooking as I do, but there are better books out there. Around the Southern Table By Sarah Belk is most excellent as is Damon Lee Fowler's Classical Southern Cooking. BTW it is quite evident that the food stylist for the Lee Bros. book never read the recipe for Frogmore Stew.

So #1 for me is frank Stitt
#2 Taste of Country Cooking...this book is a seasonal menu book and some of the menus and recipes are written in a colloquial style and take several readings to understand where she is going with a recipe.

[Chimayo Joe]

Have you had a chance to examine the new book by James Villas, "The Glory of Southern Cooking"? Southern is a niche I need to fill in my cookbook collection, and I'm wondering what you think of that one.

[Candy]

It is on my list to buy.I got a look at Pikawicca's copy and decided I have to have it. I have several by him and the recipes are always good and they are interesting to read through. he also has a couple of books made up of his columns back when he wrote for Town and Country they are probably out of print but were good reads/

[Smokey]

Well, i vote *against* Edna Lewis simply because I can't get the book from my local library system. I'm agnostic between the other two.

[beetlebug]

I'm indifferent because all three books are available at the library. However, I would lean towards the one that ends up having the most web links.

Thanks again, KN.

[beetlebug]

Sorry to be difficult. I am now changing my vote to *against* Edna Lewis to help a fellow library user.

[Candy]

Here is one for Frank Stitt. You have to try the Bourbon Panna Cotta! Just Google up Frank Stitt Recipes and many links will come up. I meant this as a response to Beetlebug's question about web links.

[Carb Lover]

Stitt's Southern Table, please. Thanks so much, Katie!

[gmc251]

Stitt

[DGresh]

I would enjoy checking out Lewis' Taste of Country Cooking

[OldDog]

Edna Lewis' Taste of Country

[gastronomy]

Edna Lewis Taste of Country- This is a wonderful book! Thanks again Katie Nell!

[Rubee]

Thanks for the great suggestions to choose from Katie Nell!

My vote is for Frank Stitt's Southern Table.

[chef chicklet]

My vote the Grand Dame of the Southern Cooks, and her book, Taste of Country Cooking.