Book excerpt: "Much like John T. Edge's Southern Belly in conception but with a more focused regional scope, this book gets at the culture and foodways of the Mississippi Delta through lively descriptions of the region's restaurants, following a geographical path chapter by chapter from Memphis to Vicksburg. Introductions to each chapter as well as box features bring out historical and social context, highlighting famous deltans like Mose Allison and Jim Henson as well as interesting regional topics like "the Fighting Okra" or the annual spaghetti gravy cookoff. Puckett has included ca. 65 recipes, each with a connection to one of the restaurants or featured individuals (Memphis Barbecue Pizza, for example. as favored by Elvis.) Photographs by Langdon Clay illuminate diners, restaurant settings, streetscapes, and shots of Delta life"--