No Taste Like Home...

No Taste Like Home is written by Kelly Alexander. She is a food writer and author of the critically acclaimed Hometown Appetites: The Story of Clementine Paddleford, the Forgotten Food Writer Who Chronicled How America Ate. 
No Taste Like Home is an exquisite journey for the palette visiting six southern regions without leaving the comfort of your home!  The regions include:  The Heart of Dixie Cajun Country Big, Bold Texas The Piedmont & the Mountains The Bluegrass, Bourbon & Barbecue Trail The Coastal South

Each region starts with a background or history of it per se. And when introducing each city in the section, a little blurb is included as well. I really like how the recipes include tidbits about the person who crafted the recipe or a little background about that specific recipe. For example, Matthew Sweet, all you people my age know who I'm talking about, is included with the Bluebird Cafe's stir-fry with grits recipe. He remembered taking visitors from out of town to the Bluebird and having breakfast there with the likes of R.E.M., the B-52s, and others. The people Kelly includes in the book range from chefs (like my local chef--Kelly English!) to actresses such as Eva Longoria to musicians like Miranda Lambert to even Miss Kay Robertson.  I think those little excerpts are what makes this cookbook not just a cookbook, but a good read as well!

I was also very excited to find that my hometown, Memphis, was in the book. But in all reality, what's a southern cookbook without Memphis in it?!?!?!  And only a Memphian can appreciate the recipe for "The Fat Elvis" given by a local. A peanut butter and banana sandwich was one of Elvis's faves!!!!! You're not a "real" Memphian if you don't know that:) And I absolutely love the picture Kelly included with this recipe. Elvis---young, handsome, Graceland in the background...

Instead of boring you with more words and blah blah blah about the cookbook, I thought I'd show you actual items that we maybe i should be honest and say my husband cooked.

We started off with a little guac. Guacamole's a good fat, right? At least, that's what I'm going with:)

Guacamole recipe from the San Antonio section

Beef Fajitas with Pico de Gallo from the Dallas section
I've never had flank steak, and I was surprised at how tender it was! Definitely will be our recipe rotation from now on. 

Sara Evans's Cheesy Potato Soup from the Birmingham section
This is seriously some of the BEST potato soup I have ever eaten. In fact, it was so delicious that I wanted to eat it for lunch and dinner til it was gone much to my husband's chagrin. I did however manage to have a bowl a day til it was completely depleted. 

This is just the beginning of our culinary journey through the South with this book. I ahem, i mean my husband plan on making many more recipes from this book. It enables me to explore southern regions I've yet to visit without leaving the comforts of my own kitchen:)

**i was given this book for review. i was not financially compensated. all thoughts and opinions are solely my own and not influenced by the publisher and/or author.