Virginia Willis

Georgia-born French-trained chef Virginia Willis has made cookies with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, foraged for berries in the Alaskan wilderness, harvested capers in Sicily, and beguiled celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Bill Clinton, and Morgan Freeman with her cooking — but it all started in her grandmother's country kitchen. She is the author of Secrets of the Southern Table: A Food Lover’s Tour of the Global South; Lighten Up, Y'all; Bon Appétit, Y'all; Basic to Brilliant, Y'all; Okra; and Grits. Lighten Up, Y'all received a James Beard Foundation Award. She was the TV kitchen director for Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Nathalie Dupree and has traveled the world producing food stories — from making cheese in Sonoma to escargot farming in France.

Virginia's Recipes

Classic Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Tomato Pie

Easy Salsa for Canning

Country Ham with Stone-Ground Grits and Redeye Gravy

Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey and Whole Grain Buttermilk Cornbread

Sweet Heat Barbecue Ribs

New Soul Creole Dirty Rice

Lightened-Up Pimiento Cheese

Country Remoulade

Peaches and Cream Breakfast Cake

Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding

Vegetable Corn Bread

Sweet Potato Gratin with Herb Crumble

Savannah-Style Irish Potato Soup

Pimento Cheese

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Bacon-Wilted Greens with Warm Pecan-Crusted Goat Cheese

New South Chicken and Dumplings

Gulf Coast Crab Cakes with Country Remoulade

Chicken Pot Pie

Tailgate Chili

Creole Crawfish Etouffee

Winter Greens and Butternut Squash Gratin

Peach Ice Cream

Tea Cake Cookies

Stories by Virginia