The daughter and granddaughter of consummate Southern cooks, Virginia Willis is also a classically trained French chef. These divergent influences come together splendidly in Bon Appétit, Y'all, a modern Southern chef's passionate and utterly appealing homage to her culinary roots. Espousing a simple-is-best philosophy, Virginia uses the finest ingredients, concentrates on sound French technique, and lets the food shine in a style she calls "refined Southern cuisine." More than 200 approachable and consistently delicious recipes are arranged by chapter into starters and nibbles; salads and slaws; eggs and dairy; meat, fowl, and fish main dishes; sides; biscuits and breads; soups and stews; desserts; and sauces and preserves. Collected here are stylishly updated Southern and French classics (New SouthernChicken and Dumplings, Boeuf Bourgignonne), rib-sticking, old-timey favorites (Meme's Fried Okra, Angel Biscuits), and perfectly executed comfort food (Mama's Apple Pie, Fried Catfish Fingers with Country Rémoulade). Nearly 100 photographs bring to life both Virginia's food and the bounty of her native Georgia. You'll also find a wealth of tips and techniques from a skilled and innovative teacher, and the stories of a Southern girl steeped to her core in the food, kitchen lore, and unconditional hospitality of her culinary forebears on both sides of the Atlantic. Bon Appétit, Y'all is Virginia's way of saying, "Welcome to my Southern kitchen. Pull up a chair." Once you have tasted her food, you'll want to stay a good long while.
Virginia Willis is the author of the acclaimed cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y'all! Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking (Ten Speed Press, 2008). Her next book, Basic to Brilliant, Y'all: 150 Refined Southern Recipes and Ways to Dress Them Up for Company is the lead book for Ten Speed Press for Fall of 2011.
A graduate of L'Academie de Cuisine and Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne, she previously she honed her attention to detail as the Kitchen Director for Martha Stewart Living Television where she supervised the food segments for the Emmy-award winning television show. With MSLTV, Virginia was also responsible for preparing private meals and events for Martha and her guests -- including among others, President Clinton, Aretha Franklin, and Julia Child. As Executive Producer for Epicurious on The Discovery Channel, she traveled the world taping fantastic stories about food - from harvesting capers in the shadow of a smoldering volcano to making authentic mustard in Dijon.
Virginia's wide and varied food career started in Atlanta as an apprentice to Nathalie Dupree. She worked with Dupree on four PBS series and cookbooks, including the James Beard award-winning Comfortable Entertaining. She also spent several years as an editorial assistant with culinary authority Anne Willan on various projects including Cook It Right, an exhaustive tome that documents the various states of "doneness" (and over- and under-"doneness") of everything from whipped cream to braised pheasant.
She is a featured chef in Atlanta Cooks at Home, was a tester and editor for The All-New Joy of Cooking, author of Pasta Dinners 1,2,3, and co-author of Home Plate Cooking. She has been featured in House Beautiful, The Chicago Tribune, and ABCnews.com. Her work has appeared in Country Living, Family Fun, and Taste of the South.
She has appeared on Real Simple Television, Martha Stewart Living Television, Paula Deen's Best Dishes, and in TV commercials for Duke's Mayonnaise. As a nationally recognized culinary professional her client list includes Calphalon, Char-Broil, The Coca Cola Company, Fresh Express, Olive Garden, and Whole Foods Market.
Virginia is on the national board of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs as well as the Atlanta Community Food Bank Advisory Board. She is a past president of the Atlanta chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier, a member of Georgia Organics, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Southern Foodways Alliance, and the American Institute of Wine and Food.
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