Southern cooking meets the Brooklyn foodie scene, keeping charm (and grits) intact

Georgia native Nicole Taylor spent her early twenties trying to distance herself from her southern cooking roots—a move "up" to Brooklyn gave her a fresh appreciation for the bread and biscuits, Classic Fried Chicken, Lemon Coconut Stack Cake, and other flavors of her childhood.

The Up South Cookbook is a bridge to the past and a door to the future. The recipes in this deeply personal cookbook offer classic Southern favorites informed and updated by newly-discovered ingredients and different cultures.

Here she gives us pimento cheese elevated with a dollop of creme fraiche, grits flavored with New York State Cheddar and blue cheese, and deviled eggs made with smoked trout from her favorite Jewish deli. Other favorites include Collard Greens Pesto and Pasta, Roasted Duck with Cheerwine Cherry Sauce, and Benne and Banana Sandwich Cookies.

The recipes speak to a place "where a story is ready to be told and there is always sweet tea chilling."

This promises to be a new Southern classic.