The Blue Willow Inn Bible of Southern Cooking

by Louis Van Dyke, Billie Van Dyke

The owners of Southern Living's longtime "Best Restaurant in the South," the Blue Willow Inn, Louis and Billie Van Dyke have created the most complete and thorough Southern cookbook ever published. Containing more than 600 recipes in every imaginable category, The Blue Willow Inn Bible of Southern Cooking is a staple in kitchens of everyone who appreciates classic Southern cooking. It is a book that contains not only classic recipes that have been handed down for generations, but also new Southern favorites. Destined to become a classic along the lines of Betty Crocker, Fannie Farmer, and The Joy of Cooking, The Blue Willow Inn Bible of Southern Cooking will sell for years to come. Recipes

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction

397 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Karen Witzler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recipes are fine but accompanying text is drenched in a mixture of antebellum bs and Church of God politics. Recipes are authentic Georgia as I have known it - bit heavy on the Southern Living magazine or Junior League catering style; neither innovative nor striving for down hominess or historical accuracy. I would love to have just the recipes and to lose the history of the restaurant and its owners.

Don't start anything with me in the comments - I am a red-clay Georgian and grew up with the Church of God... Others considering this cookbook for their own sundry reasons may find foreknowledge of its slant useful.

[Sheila Wakefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good southern cooking. I've eaten here and the food was delicious.

[CookbookWizard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having lived in rural south Alabama all my life and eaten southern cuisine out of daily necessity and embracement our eclectic culture, it takes an extraordinary cookbook about southern foods to impress me. The Blue Willow Inn’s “Bible of Southern Cooking” knocked my socks off with cover to cover tried and true recipes. Southern cooking isn’t always about tromping through the woods to trap/catch your supper. Southern cooking is a melting pot of many nationalities, cultures, and most of all, good people and good food. The meals aren’t always healthy—-but they are soulful and full of love. That’s exactly what The Blue Willow Inn’s “Bible of Southern Cooking” is full of - good southern recipes with well written directions using readily accessible ingredients; a true labor of love. The little snippets and insights sprinkled throughout the book are in true southern form, where everything has a story and the story connects you with the one extending their love through food.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars as there are no photos. Buy this cookbook if you are interested in the type of southern cooking your busy mom would utilize to put dinner on the table in the 60’s and 70’s. Many of the recipes aren’t all from scratch and utilize canned soup, Cheez Whiz, Velveeta and Cool Whip. I personally don’t have a problem with that as it was the type of food I grew up on. Some of the recipes are sent in by women from various southern states. It reminded me of a church cookbook sometimes. There are many amazing deserts and beverages I can’t wait to try.

[Debbie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Southern Cooking

I purchased a Kindle version of this cookbook to check out the recipes prior to purchasing it in paperback. I jotted down 79 recipes I plan on trying once I get the cookbook.

[Elizabeth Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more like 4.5 stars, and the reason is because of ingredients like margarine and Cheez Wiz. A lot of the recipes are in need of contemporary makeovers, but it's an impressive collection nonetheless.

[Margaret Sorrells · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Southern Tradition

The food is Southern and very delicious! My family moved to Social Circle when I was 4 years old. I loved living there. Everyone knew everyone. My Dad was a doctor from North Dakota, my Mother was from Minnesota. Dad's sister married a doctor from Columbus, GA. We visited them the Christmas after I was born. My parents said, "There's green grass and flowers in December." We moved to Columbus. We moved to Athens a few years later. Dad was the doctor at the infirmary at UGA. We then moved to Social Circle. My brother was the lifeguard at the swimming pool. The pool was next to what is now the Blue Willow. I spent most of my time there in the summers.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book of 600+ recipes.There are too many canned & high sodium ingredients in this cookbook for my comfort. I think I was expecting a different type of cookbook. When I think "Southern" food I think of my Grandmother and her fresh ingredients. Gave an extra star because I did find one recipe of interest to try.

[Lindy Gustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this cookbook!!!

This is truly a southern cookbook loaded with great recipes. My mouth waters just reading and seeing the photos. Also, makes me want to plan a trip to The Blue Willow Inn.

[Renada Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I didn't read every recipe. But I found this to be an interesting introduction to Southern food culture, and the recipes I did try were good. My husband was a fan of Skillet Corn Bread in particular.

[Carly]

i would bankrupt myself using butter as indiscriminately as this cookbook calls for! J's aunts are determined to help me learn to cook real southern food for him, and I love them for it!

[Patricia Joynton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great Southern cookbook. Natalie found it and I've ordered many to give as gifts to our Northern friends.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT

[John’aLee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great book on Southern cooking. So good I've bought it twice. Once for myself....and last year for my darling daughter.

[Sunshine Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother gave me this book and it is a true gem. It is generally the typical Georgian style of southern cooking.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd love to visit the Blue Willow Inn one day. I'm giving it three stars because it has some great from-scratch traditional Southern recipes, but a lot of Velveeta snuck in there, too.

[Carole Swinford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of Blue Willow Inn mixed with some great Southern recipes.

[LRK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a comprehensive Southern cookbook.