Book excerpt: There's no region of the country more cherished and unique when it comes to food than the South. Southerners celebrate our food traditions. They are totems of our collective identity. Our grits, our fried chicken, our sweet tea, our butterbeans, our biscuits: These are powerful symbols of not just of Southern tastes but also of Southern values, of the kind of simple, honest-to-goodness home cooking, prepared with generosity of spirit and served up with generosity of ladle. These recipes are what distinguish and bind Southern culture. No Taste Like Home embraces the cultural identity of towns large and small all throughout the South and provides readers with recipes, stories, and highlights of all the unique regional flavors -- from the Heartland of Dixie to Cajun Country, from The Coastal South to Bluegrass, Bourbon and BBQ Country and all points in between. Organized geographically, the cookbook focuses on each of 6 regions in the South. Every chapter will include highlights of specific towns and contain essays describing, literally, the flavor of the place. The highlighted towns will offer multiple recipes as well as musings from notable locals, and "locally famous" chefs. Just some of the recurring editorial features include: a travelogue introduction discussing regional specialties and folklore Standout recipes from local chefs and "almost famous" home cooks Musings from locals about their town "Hometown Flavor" features on Southern iconic ingredients that are commonly used in the regional cuisine "What We're Craving" features highlighting a local restaurant or town-specific dish that locals crave when they're not at home "Local Know-how" features of insider secrets from the locals, from how to pick the freshest produce, to the best way to prepare their own recipes