Lana Stuart, a bestselling cookbook author and professional food blogger, founded the blog Lana’s Cooking in 2009 as a way to record the vintage recipes she remembered from her South Georgia childhood. Although traditional Southern cuisine forms the basis of Lana’s culinary experience, her recipes also reflect her enjoyment of exploring trends and tackling new challenges in the kitchen.
A sought-after expert in culture, food, and cooking, Lana has been featured by national and international media, including CNN, The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Saveur, Epicurious, and more. She has developed recipes and content for many national companies, including Betty Crocker, McCormick, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, and others.
This one-on-one interview shares Lana’s background and experience in writing My Southern Table: Recipes From a Georgia Kitchen.
Tell us about My Southern Table: Recipes From a Georgia Kitchen.
I was born and raised in South Georgia, in a family where the kitchen was the heart of our home. Cherished memories of meals shared around our dining table shaped the foundations of my cookbook, My Southern Table: Recipes from a Georgia Kitchen.
My Southern Table contains 246 recipes representing the best of Southern comfort food, including dozens of “heritage recipes” throughout the book. These are older recipes handed down from family members who were all accomplished home cooks. I’ve also created new recipes that reflect the continuing evolution of Southern cooking. This combination of new and old recipes is Southern food as I know it today—vibrant, diverse, and ever-changing.
You’ll find amazing recipes like:
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Baptist Church Party Punch
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Copper Pennies
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Corn Dodgers
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Russian Tea
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Shrimp and Grits
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Chicken Jallop
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Chocolate Little Layer Cake
A full-color photo and easy-to-follow directions accompany each of the 246 recipes. In addition, many of the recipes are seasoned with a story, adding a personal touch that makes this cookbook truly special. My anecdotes, heartfelt reflections, and useful tips are designed to lend a unique authenticity to the recipes, and it is my hope that this inspires readers to create these dishes with the same love and care in their kitchen too.
What inspired you to write My Southern Table: Recipes From a Georgia Kitchen?
In 2009, I started recording the recipes I remembered from my childhood on my blog, Lana’s Cooking (www.lanascooking.com).
The blog has grown in popularity over the years and now contains more than 700 recipes. Many loyal readers requested a cookbook encompassing some of my most treasured dishes, so this cookbook is the result of all those years of cooking and writing.
How did your background and experience influence your writing?
I’ve always been a writer in some capacity. Before I started my blog, I was the webmaster in a K-12 school system, where I created public-facing messaging daily.
I’ve known for years that I wanted to write a cookbook, and am proud to say that I have made that dream a reality.
What is one message you would like readers to remember?
I’d like my readers to gain an appreciation and understanding of the role that treasured family recipes play in making memories that carry through to future generations. These recipes are more than just meals; they’re a tapestry of our history and a taste of our culture.
Yet, Southern cuisine is not just about honoring the past; it’s also about embracing the present and looking to the future. Alongside old, time-tested classics, readers will also discover newer recipes that reflect the continuing evolution of Southern cooking.
Purchasing the Book
My Southern Table: Recipes From a Georgia Kitchen has received positive reviews from experts, authors, and reviewers around the world. Award-winning cookbook author Nathalie Dupree writes, “My Southern Table: Recipes from a Georgia Kitchen is more than a cookbook. It is a lovely collection of soul-warming food memories, stories of the great cooks in Lana’s family, and how food builds family and community at the table.”
The book is available for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Signed copies are available directly from the author at https://www.lanascooking.com/shop/
Connect with Lana Taylor Stuart
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