It took Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley 22 years to collect the best recipes from the best cookbooks from every state. Now that the “Best of the Best State Cookbooks Series” covers the entire country, McKee and Moseley are not resting—they are revisiting the South to continue the quest of preserving America’s food heritage. With so many new fine cookbooks published in the Southern states over the last two decades, they knew it was time for all-new versions of some of the early books in the Series.

The new editions for 2006 started with the Best of the Best from Alabama, which was released in mid-March. Now available is the all-new edition of Best of the Best from Georgia. From there, new editions from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia will be released between fall 2006 and early 2007.

New Best of the Best editions for Mississippi and Florida were released in 2004 and new editions for Tennessee and Kentucky were released in late 2005.

More than just a cookbook, these all-new editions of the acclaimed Best of the Best State Cookbook Series serve as travel guide, history lesson, and lasting souvenir.

(In fact, SAVEUR magazine called the Series the “Tastiest Set of Road Trip Souvenirs” in their annual SAVEUR 100 list for 2005.)

In addition to all-new recipes and contributing cookbooks, these new editions are further enhanced with even more travel highlights, points of interest, and fascinating trivia specific to each state.

Did you know, for example, that Gainesville has a city ordinance (just for fun) against eating their delicious local fried chicken with a knife and fork?

With more than 2 million copies sold, this series is known nationwide as the definitive source for state and regional cooking. As such, inclusion in the Best of the Best Series is truly an honor for those cookbooks and recipes selected.

Eighty-seven (87) distinguished Georgia cookbooks were selected to contribute a sampling of their most popular recipes to the all-new Georgia edition of the acclaimed Best of the Best State Cookbook Series. There is no duplication of recipes from the original edition which was published in 1989 as the ninth book in the 46-volume Series.

Editors Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley are continually looking for good cookbooks and were delighted to explore the new cookbook submissions from Georgia. They gathered favorite recipes from well-known cookbooks by noteworthy authors, chefs, restaurants, junior leagues and other civic organizations, as well as delightful little cookbooks that rarely gain recognition beyond their own communities.

To find the “Best of the Best”, Gwen and Barbara had the task of wading through the vast number of contributed recipes. “We reviewed so many delicious recipes that it was difficult to decide on the more than 400 to be included,” said McKee. Moseley adds, “As always, the three most important criteria for selection remain “Taste, taste…and taste!” Recipes from contributing cookbooks include: Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade, Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Corn on the Cob, Honey Pecan Fried Chicken, Sweet Onion Cornbread, Southern Pork Barbecue, Grandma Jo’s Famous Mac and Cheese, Vidalia Onion Tart, Barbecued Beans, Dixie Cornbread Salad, Company’s Coming Peach Pie, and Homemade Peach Ice Cream, and more.

Inclusion in the Best of the Best from Georgia is truly an honor for those cookbooks and recipes selected. This impressive new cookbook is the latest addition to Quail Ridge Press’ Best of the Best State Cookbook Series, which now covers all fifty states. The cookbooks in this series are considered the most comprehensive survey available of a state’s particular cooking style and flavor.

The Best of the Best from Georgia Cookbook (ringbound, $16.95) is available at bookstores, kitchen and gift shops, online at www.quailridge.com, or by calling 1-800-343-1583.

Company’s Coming Peach Pie

1 unbaked (9-inch) pie shell
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 (16-ounce) can sliced red freestone peaches

Brush the pie shell with the butter. Bake according to the package directions. Let stand until cool. Process the vanilla, cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and 1/4 cup of the preserves in a blender until smooth. Pour into the baked pie shell. Arrange the peaches artfully in a spoke pattern over the top. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup preserves over the peaches. Chill in the refrigerator. Serves 6.

Some Assembly Required
Best of the Best from Georgia Cookbook (All-new edition) (Quail Ridge Press)

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