Mississippi maven Diana Rattray teaches you the basic techniques and tried and true secrets of making authentic Southern foods! Featuring recipes for everything from classic comfort food to French influenced Cajun fare, The About.com Guide to Southern Cooking offers an inviting introduction to America's favorite cuisine. This dynamic cookbook features:

• Crowd-pleasing beverages like Southern- Style Iced Tea and Kentucky Mint Julep
• Tasty breakfast foods like Banana Fritters and Mississippi Breakfast Bake
• Scrumptious essentials like Southern Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy
• Hearty classics like Home-Style Pot Roast and Country-Style Pork Ribs with Apples
• Mouth-watering desserts like Pineapple Upside-Down Cake and Pecan Sandies

With over 200 delicious recipes, The About.com Guide to Southern Cooking is all you need for your next big bash or home-cooked family dinner. It also includes five types of special features with informative tips and advice:

• Ask Your Guide: Diana's expert answers to your most challenging culinary questions
• Tools You Need: Information about researching, purchasing, and using various cooking tools and resources
• Elsewhere on the Web: Diana's other favorite cooking Web sites
• What's Hot: The hottest trends and tips to ensure your dish is a success
• Before You Begin: Helpful hints to make cooking prep easier than ever
• Plus, you can link back to the About.com Southern Cooking site for even more information

  Diana Rattray, the About.com Guide to Southern U.S. Cuisine, is an avid home cook and recipe collector. Her Web site on About.com is one of the most popular cooking sites on the Internet. She lives in Tupelo, MS.