Tucked away in Oxford on the campus of the University of Mississippi is a degree program for Southern studies. There, students can focus on different Southern aspects as they pursue their degree – literature, music and politics are but a few. Fortunately for food lovers, when John T. Edge came to Oxford from Atlanta, he chose Southern food as his focus.

&uot;I was wrapped up in a traditional corporate job in the financial world in Atlanta,&uot; said Edge. &uot;I got up one morning and realized I was way too caught up in that world, and it was time for me to get away.&uot;

Within a week Edge had his house on the market and was enrolling in the master’s program at Ole Miss.

Now Edge serves as the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and writes on the subject of Southern food.

&uot;I began writing articles for an Internet magazine called y’all.com at a friend’s request, then I had some articles published in Southern Living,&uot; Edge said. &uot;But what really got me going in food writing was about three years ago I went down to New Orleans and ran a Lucky Dog hot dog cart. I wrote an article on that and it was published in Oxford American. After that I wrote for Saveur, Cooking Light, Gourmet and Food and Wine.&uot;

During that time Ellen Rolfes, a publisher, packager and consultant for community cookbooks, came to the university with a new cookbook idea. Rolfes teamed up with Edge and the outcome was the highly celebrated &uot;A Gracious Plenty, Recipes and Recollections from the American South.&uot;

&uot;’A Gracious Plenty’ has more than just recipes,&uot; Edge said. &uot;It is filled with stories and personal recollections, photographs and a glossary of Southern culinary terms to help with some unfamiliar terms.

&uot;It is more of a honest cookbook rather than a purist cookbook. Take the recipe for pimento and cheese, it calls for pimentos from a jar. While some people would argue that the pure way to do this would be to roast your red bell peppers and chop them up, that is not the way it is made in the South.&uot;

During that time Edge was also working on an idea he had for a Southern travel and restaurant book.

&uot;I quickly realized that this was becoming more than a plain travel book. There were stories to be told and eating places that could not be ignored,&uot; said Edge. &uot;The book, ‘Southern Belly,’ soon became a mosaic of people and places in the South.&uot;

As you read through Southern Belly you are struck by how easily food brings together the different cultures of the South. From fish camps to chicken shacks, to meat and three vegetable joints you will encounter places that have been visited by the rich and poor, famous and not so famous but all have one thing in common: delicious, unpretentious food.

Edge is currently working on a new book, tentatively titled, &uot;Map of Dixie on My Tongue.&uot;

&uot;So far it is filled with meditations on race and food,&uot; said Edge. &uot;I kind of start in the middle and write my way out. Race and class are issues that have vexed the South for years, but when you talk about Southern food you have to involve them. After all many generations of Southerners have been raised by black women and countless political decisions have been made over a plate of barbecue.&uot;

Country-Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

1 three-pound sirloin tip roast, sliced into 1 1/2-inch thick

slices

1 to 2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon white vinegar

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Pound the meat with a spiked meat mallet to tenderize. Cut each slice crosswise into three pieces. Place in a large bowl and cover with water. Mix in the salt and vinegar and let marinate for two hours. Combine the flour and pepper in a paper or plastic bag. Add meat, one piece at a time, and shake to coat. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep large skillet over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Add the meat in batches, do not crowd, and fry until light brown. This should take about one minute on each side. Drain on paper towels. Reserve two tablespoons pan drippings for the gravy. Place the meat on a warm platter and tent with foil. Make the gravy.

Cream Gravy

2 tablespoons pan drippings

2 tablespoons flour

2 to 3 cups milk

1/4 teaspoons salt

14 teaspoons pepper

Heat the pan drippings over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for three minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Stir in the salt and pepper. Whisk over medium heat until thickened, about one minute. Spoon over the fried steaks and serve hot.

A Gracious Plenty

White Beans, Rice and Smoked Sausage

2 pounds dried white (navy) beans, soaked overnight in

cold water

2 cups chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 thinly sliced green onion tops

1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic

1 pound baked ham, cut into cubes

1 large ham bone, have butcher saw into 4- to 5- inch

lengths

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

2 whole bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

3 quarts cold water

6 Creole, Polish or French smoked garlic sausages

Boiled rice, for serving

Drain the soaked beans in a colander and put them, along with all the other ingredients, except fro the sausages, in a heavy 8 to 10- quart pot. Bring to boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender. Stir from time to time and scrape the sides and bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. Add more water toward the end of the cooking if the mixture begins to appear too dry. While the beans are cooking, pan-grill the sausages in a heavy skillet for about 12 to 15, turning them frequently, until they are well browned on all sides. Drain on paper towels, then cut them into slices 1/2 inch thick. Add them to the beans about 3/4 hours after the simmering begins. Serve over boiled rice.

A Gracious Plenty

After you revisit all the your Southern favorites in &uot;A Gracious Plenty&uot; you can turn to the &uot;Southern Belly.&uot;

My advice is to pack a suitcase, take off a few days and head out to eat at some of these revered old Southern standards, here are a few of my Mississippi favorites.

Crechale’s in Jackson; one of the first places my husband (David) and I ever went on a date. Their steaks with onion rings are absolute heaven.

Mayflower Caf\u00E9 in Jackson; one of the finest old-line Greek restaurants in the South. Their hot rolls, and Cumback sauce is to die for.

Mendenhall Hotel Revolving Tables; this one holds a very special place in my heart. I spent my junior high and high school years in Mendenhall. My family ate at the Revolving Tables at least once a week and preferably more often. The fried chicken that came out of the kitchen was heavenly and my favorite was the rice and mushroom casserole that was covered with melted sharp cheddar cheese and green onions. Even after David and I married and the rest of may family had moved away we would drive down for Sunday lunch. Owner Mrs. Erven and then her son Fred Morgan always claimed they helped get me married off. If you are ever down that way this is definitely do-not miss place.