Sara Foster’s love of Southern fare began in her Granny Foster’s Tennessee kitchen. There, the combination of down-home comfort, fresh-from-the-farm ingredients, and dedicated preparation hooked her for life. Now the award-winning cookbook author and restaurateur serves up nearly two hundred contemporary interpretations of classic dishes—Shrimp Jambalaya, Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Butt, Cheesy Grits Casserole; refreshing drinks, including Mint Juleps and Sweet Tea; and such satisfying breakfasts as Country Ham and Hominy Hash. And a table wouldn’t be Southern without the sides—Skillet-Fried Corn, Creamy Potato Salad, and Arugula Pesto Snap Beans. Be sure, too, to save room for Molasses-Bourbon Pecan Pie and Freestyle Lemon Blackberry Tart.

From revealing the secret to fluffy buttermilk biscuits to giving us ideas for swapping out ingredients to accommodate any season, from providing tips for frying up chicken like a true Southerner to detailing barbecue fundamentals that put you on par with any pitmaster, Foster’s helpful sidebars ensure that your dishes will turn out perfect every time. You’ll also get expert tips on the essential equipment (cast-iron skillets, griddles, casserole dishes) and the ingredients no Southern pantry should be without (from stone-ground grits to Carolina Gold rice). As a bonus, Foster offers her “Sidetracked” feature, profiles of tried-and-true roadtrip destinations throughout the South where you can find the best fried catfish, barbecued brisket, big breakfast plates, and more. And finally, Foster’s lessons in pickling and canning guarantee that you can enjoy your favorite flavors all year round.

With its handy list of resources and Southern pantry essentials, and entertaining stories, Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen is an all-inclusive collection of Southern cooking in which simple feasts meet artisanal ingredients, traditional tastes meet modern methods, and fantastic flavors make every bite a succulent mouthful of Southern comfort.

“Sara Foster’s book on Southern cooking is absolutely stunning. She takes old-fashioned recipes like buttermilk biscuits and fried chicken and updates them for modern cooks. I can’t wait to work my way through this gorgeous book!”—Ina Garten

“From squash-threaded hush puppies to brûléed rice pudding, Sarah Foster is a keen synthesizer of Southern genres and geographies. My copy of her latest is already dog-eared and (red-eye) gravy splattered.”—John T. Edge, series editor of Cornbread Nation: The Best of Southern Food Writing

“Sara Foster is the quintessential Southern cook. On every page of Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen there is ample evidence of the accuracy of its subtitle: ‘Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal.’ ” —Julia Reed, author of Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties

“Sara Foster skillfully breaks through the boundaries of classic Southern cooking. The recipes and photographs are full of Southern soul and charm. I want to stick a fork right into the pages and devour them.”—Donald Link, chef and author of Real Cajun 

“Some of the recipes in this book are traditional, others have been adapted to modern times. All will tempt people who love to cook.”—Bill Smith, chef and author of Seasoned in the South

Without sacrificing any of the casual elegance fans have come to expect from Foster’s restaurants, this book shows how cooking can be simple, flexible, and fast, using seasonal ingredients to help ensure special-occasion quality every day. Alongside more than 200 recipes are tips that anticipate the challenges of a home kitchen. No tarragon in the cupboard? See the sidebar on “Thinking Outside the Recipe” for ideas on how to adapt a recipe to what you do have. Wondering how to make the most of last night’s roasted chicken? Look in the “Reinvention” box for suggestions on using leftovers to create meals that look and taste delicious. With trademark charm and a down-to-earth style that will appeal to novice cooks and culinary experts alike, FRESH EVERY DAY will fast become a kitchen staple for anyone who loves fresh, homemade fare but doesn’t have all day to make it.

For more than a decade, Foster’s Markets have been cooking and baking foods made fresh each day from ingredients picked locally at the peak of flavor. Now Sara Foster shares more than two hundred delicious recipes, providing modern takes on favorite home-style classics.

The Foster’s Market Cookbook features old-fashioned ideas about how good food should taste and new-fashioned ideas about prep times and the use of high-quality prepared ingredients. Filled with eighty color photos, this is the perfect cookbook to refer to over and over again for everyday meals or for entertaining, whether it be for two or for twenty.

Before moving to Durham, North Carolina, Sara worked alongside Martha Stewart in the kitchen of Martha’s catering business. When she opened her own catering company, Sara kept her food simple yet soulful, trusting the complex flavors of seasonal ingredients. This same basic principle guides the daily offerings at Foster’s Markets in Durham and Chapel Hill. Each week the markets serve nearly a thousand customers hungrily searching out Sara’s innovative, new-style home cooking. And now food lovers everywhere will be able to prepare with ease sumptuous dishes such as Roasted Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Arugula Salad; Herb-Grilled Salmon with Fresh Tomato-Orange Chutney; and Risotto Cakes with Roasted Tomatoes and Foster’s Arugula Pesto. Also featured are a host of wonderful desserts, such as Lemon Chess Pie with Sour Cherries and Chocolate Espresso Layer Cake with Mocha Latte Frosting.

Featuring mouthwatering favorites from the market and dozens of helpful sidebars that discuss ingredients, techniques, and make-ahead tips, The Foster’s Market Cookbook provides all you need to know to make the most of every season’s finest offerings.

“Sara has remained true to her beliefs and conviction that good, honest food can be deliciously simple. Her recipes, though often complex in flavor, are by and large easy to prepare. I’ve cooked many of the recipes collected for this book and eaten many more of Sara’s creations, and I’ve never been disappointed, only elated by the taste and appearance and freshness.

There are two busy, thriving, successful, and charming Foster’s Markets, and they are popular not just as places to buy beautifully prepared, delicious foodstuffs, but also as relaxed, carefree gathering places where a cup of latte and a huge piece of crumb cake or a giant sticky bun or a bowl of steaming soup can be savored quietly with a book or a newspaper or with a group of friends.

Sara has prepared this cookbook with the same care and attention that she has lavished on the rest of her work. Well written and well tested, each recipe is sure to please. And the best news is that these represent just a small number of Sara’s repertoire, so we can look forward to more of her collected recipes.” — Martha Stewart