"I come from a long line of Southern cooks who taught me home cooking is best, life is good, and there is always something to be grateful for. I created 'Southern Plate' so that I could share the recipes and stories that have been passed down through my family for more than nine generations. You won't find fancy food or new-fangled recipes in this cookbook -- just easy, no-fuss Southern favorites such as Chicken and Dumplings, Homemade Banana Pudding, Aunt Looney's Macaroni Salad, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Daddy's Rise-and-Shine Biscuts. (I want to make one thing as clear as possible: How your mama made it is the right way! I'm going to bring it to you how my mama made it, which is the only right way for me)" --Cover, p. 2.