My small collection of cookbooks at home usually stay on the shelves until such time I need to look up a recipe for sampling in the kitchen. Some of them offer food porn. Others are straight-up instructional material. But The Cracker Kitchen begs to be read from cover to cover. That’s because behind the good food of the American Colonial south are wonderful stories–family anecdotes sure to make you laugh out loud.

Janis Owens’s warm and welcoming prose introduces the reader to the world and foodways of the Cracker. The 150 recipes are grouped according to season with menus tailored for the many family get-togethers associated with Cracker life. It’s a whole year of eating Cracker-style. It even comes with a pantry list to make sure you have everything you need just in case you’re in the mood to cook every recipe in this book

As I reached the last page, Ms. Janis has got me hooked on her cracker ways. So pardon me as I head to the stores to buy myself the cast-iron pans and dutch oven. I’ve got a whole year of Cracker cooking to do.