The most beloved Southern cookbook of all time: a glorious celebration of seasonal eating that has shaped generations of home cooks, from “the first lady of Southern cooking” (NPR). Beautifully repackaged and redesigned, with a new foreword by Toni Tipton-Martin.

“A classic, showing Americans the bounty of Southern cuisine and influencing generations.” —Melissa Clark, The New York Times

“Indispensable . . . An inspiration to all of us who are striving to protect both biodiversity and cultural diversity by cooking real food in season and honoring our heritage through the ritual of the table.” —Alice Waters, James Beard award-winning chef and founder/owner of Chez Panisse

With the publication of The Taste of Country Cooking in 1976, Edna Lewis proclaimed the food of the American South one of the world’s great cuisines. From the field greens and salads of spring; pan-fried chicken and crushed peaches in summer; preserves and sweet potatoes for fall; and hearty soups and stews during the cold winter months, Miss Lewis (as she was almost universally known) extolled the vir­tues of the good food of her childhood, spent in a Virginia farming community founded by her grandfather and his friends after Emancipation.

A celebration of eating locally—decades before “farm to table” became common parlance—the book showcases the joys of cooking with the seasons.

The 150 accessible recipes in its pages include:
•Baked Virginia Ham, Buttered Jerusalem Artichokes, and Rhubarb Pie in Spring
•Green Tomato Preserves, Wilted Lettuce with Hot Vinegar Dressing, and Fresh Blackberry Cobbler in Summer
•Crispy Biscuits, Green Bean Salad with Sliced Tomatoes, and Country-Fried Apples in Fall
•Oyster Stew, Pan-Braised Spareribs, and Coconut Layer Cake in Winter

An affirmation of a distinctly American way of eating, fifty years after its publica­tion, The Taste of Country Cooking remains the definitive book on Southern food.

‍ ‍Edna LewisPublisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf

• Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 5, 2026

• Edition ‏ : ‎ Anniversary

• Language ‏ : ‎ English

• Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages

• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593804953

• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593804957

• Author: Edna Lewis 

A Food & Wine Best Cookbook of Winter 2026

From beloved food writer and author of the James Beard Award finalist Black Girl Baking comes a joyous cookbook that transforms everyday meals into something special and unexpected with just a few simple flourishes.

Fanciness is a mindset. It’s realizing that you can make everyday food feel special using what you likely already have on hand. It’s about seeing the act of cooking not just as another thing to do, but as a nourishing ritual to help ease away the day’s stress.

In We Fancy, Jerrelle Guy teaches you how to use pantry staples like canned beans, crackers, or a pint of vanilla ice cream, and tools like sheet pans and your air fryer, to transform typical weeknight dinners into something easy but memorable. Think: Nearly Instantaneous Risotto made with black or roasted garlic, Double-Stacked Black Bean Burgers smashed with tortilla chips, Artichokes in the Perfect Butter Wine Sauce, and Olive Oil Brownie Pudding covered with chopped nuts.

We Fancy shows that cooking is both a creative and a practical act, and in these pages with beautiful and wise writing that is meant to heal, guide and inspire, Jerrelle gives us new recipes and reasons to look forward to dinner.