Book excerpt: The Emmy Award–nominated chef puts a lighter, healthier twist on Southern cooking with these 150 recipes accompanied by color photos. Southern recipes are cherished heirlooms passed down from generation to generation, and Home Plate Cooking shows how to prepare the same recipes your grandmother used to make—while also sharing fresh versions of the same food. That could mean preparing a marinade for collard greens that will eliminate the need for fat back, or cutting down on preparation or cooking time for a family favorite. Featuring 150 recipes, Home Plate Cooking celebrates home cooked southern meals in a way southern recipes have never been presented before—inspired by Marvin Woods’s desire to prepare tasty cuisine that reflected his heritage and influence, but that people could eat more than once a week without worrying about their blood pressure with every bite. Home Plate Cooking shares recipes for such delicacies as: Cheddar Grits Soufflé New Southern Chicken & Dumplings Carrot Apple Slaw Cheddar Cornbread Okra & Tomatoes Bourbon-Baked Ham New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp Pecan Sandies Upside-Down Apple Cake, and many more