cover image Come On Over!: Southern Delicious for Every Day & Every Occasion

Come On Over!: Southern Delicious for Every Day & Every Occasion

Elizabeth Heiskell. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $30 (256p) ISBN 978-0-358-24809-5

Heiskell (What Can I Bring?), a Mississippi Delta native and Today show contributor, serves up fun, fast, and filling fare with a Southern twist in this charming guide. In nearly 100 recipes designed to feed a group, she offers dishes styled to suit whatever kind of day one’s having, whether that’s a beach day, weekday, or an occasion for a party. Unfussy weekday dinners feature slow cooker chicken and dumplings and a seasonally inspired Vidalia onion and artichoke casserole. For parties, decadent dips made with crabmeat or crawfish and a beef tenderloin showstopper are joined by cocktails such as Lemon Sparklers (think lemony Prosecco). “Delta Days” dishes star regional favorites, including cheesy corn bread muffins, while seasonal summer recipes celebrate all manner of shrimp dishes. Lunch-box-friendly fare reuses leftover pasta, while simple sweets, such as chocolate or peach and blubbery cobbler, make easy weeknight desserts. Sourced mostly from her “Momma’s” recipe box or torn from the pages of women’s magazines, Heiskell’s recipes aren’t meant to be sophisticated; she even provides shortcuts including canned soups, boxed cake mixes, and frozen produce. Beginning cooks and those looking for a taste of the South will appreciate this entertaining collection’s effortless dishes designed for “any ole dadgum day.” Agent: Stacey Glick, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (May)