Cookbooks by North Carolina Authors

The time has come to bring an end to North Carolina Week! I’m a bit sad that it’s over! I have had so much fun showing you why I love the Land of the Pine. There was an NC-themed gift guide, a pretty awesome giveaway, delicious cheese biscuits, 10 fabulous Instagram acounts, a tour of Greensboro and a classy cocktail to boot. And it was great to have not one, but two guest bloggers join us! What did you think of North Carolina week?

Before the week is over, I wanted to share my North Carolina cookbook wishlist. If I didn’t already know what a great state this is for food, last week at Food Blog Forum in Asheville definitely reassured me. I’ll tell you more about it next week but, in a nutshell, we ate and ate and ate. Lots of local makers were present to share cooking tips, recipes and samples with us!

When special locales inspire delicious dishes, it’s so lovely and meaningful. Everyone should try to bring those experiences into their kitchens. Add one (or more!) of these Tar Heel tomes to your bookshelf and cook up some of the foods that feel like home to me. (You can find another cookbook wishlist from earlier this year!) Enjoy your long weekend, everyone! See you Monday when the Kitchen Road Trip takes us to North Dakota. // susannah

Click below to see my North Carolina Cookbook Wishlist!

1.100 Days of Real Food: How We Did It, What We Learned, and 100 Easy, Wholesome Recipes Your Family Will Love by Lisa Leake — This one’s brand new. I met Matthews, N.C.-based Lisa and her family at FBF last weekend and she is just a lovely, smart, humble soul. I haven’t had a moment to peruse her new cookbook (it came out on Tuesday!) but I’m sure it is no less lovely.

2.Handmade Gatherings: Recipes and Crafts for Seasonal Celebrations and Potluck Parties by Ashley English — From western North Carolina comes Handmade Gatherings, a book about designing parties that have handmade elements. In addition to recipes and seasonal parties, Ashley also offers corresponding crafts and activity ideas.

3. Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition by Jodi Rhoden — No proper Southern gathering is complete without dessert, and cake is no exception. This cookbook comes from Short Street Cakes in Asheville, N.C. and celebrates this Southern tradition. Cook through this one and decide for yourself if N.C. is a cake state (see #s 5 and 6).

4. Tupelo Honey Cafe: New Southern Flavors from the Blue Ridge Mountains by Elizabeth Sims and Brian Sonoskus — Tupelo Honey is an iconic restaurant in Asheville, N.C. It has recently expanded to other Southern cities (Charlotte included!) This cookbook and its companion, Tupelo Honey Cafe: Spirited Recipes from Asheville’s New South Kitchen, reveal the secrets behind the restaurant’s famous recipes.

5. Our State Magazine — OK, you got me. This one’s not technically a cookbook. It’s a magazine that chronicles the culture of this great state. They do, however, offer many recipes from across the state and pose excellent questions like, “Is North Carolina a cake state or a pie state?” (I often wonder this.) You can also count on Our State to tell you where to go, what to eat and what to do in your N.C. travels.

6. Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, From Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecanby Nancie McDermott — This book from Chapel Hill, N.C. has all the best pie recipes to help you decide if N.C. is a pie state. (See #5. Nancie also has a cake cookbook,  Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations.) The Scuppernong Meringue pie sounds intriguing!

7. Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen by Sara Foster — After college, I had a short-lived job in Durham and I often found myself eating lunch at Foster’s Market often. I fell in love with Sara Foster’s rustic, country store-style restaurant. This cookbook boasts soulful, traditional and seasonal Southern cuisine.

8. Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day by Peter Reinhart — Charlotte-based Peter Reinhart offers fast and easy recipes for world-class breads in this cookbook. Reinhart breaks down traditional techniques for baking a simple French loaf, then teaches the reader how to step up their in-home bakery with other types, like ciabatta, pizza dough and bagels.