Deep Run Roots

A New York Times bestseller and IACP Cookbook of the Year. More than two hundred recipes from North Carolina's coastal plain by the star of PBS's Somewhere South.

This new classic of American country cooking proves that the food of Deep Run, North Carolina—Vivian's home—is as rich as any culinary tradition in the world. Organized by ingredient with dishes suited to every skill level, from beginners to confident cooks, Deep Run Roots features time-honored simple preparations alongside extraordinary meals from her acclaimed restaurant Chef and the Farmer.


Ten years ago, Vivian opened Chef and the Farmer and put the nearby town of Kinston on the culinary map. But in a town paralyzed by recession, she couldn't hop on every new culinary trend. Instead, she focused on rural development: If you grew it, she'd buy it. Inundated by local sweet potatoes, blueberries, shrimp, pork, and beans, Vivian learned to cook the way generations of Southerners before her had, relying on resourcefulness, creativity, and the traditional ways of preserving food.

Deep Run Roots is the result of years of effort to discover the riches of Eastern North Carolina. Like The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, The Art of Simple Food, and The Taste of Country Cooking before it, this is landmark work of American food writing.


Recipes include family favorites like:
Blueberry BBQ ChickenCreamed Collard-Stuffed PotatoesFried Yams with Five-Spice Maple Bacon CandyChicken and RiceCountry-Style Pork Ribs in Red Curry-Braised WatermelonShow-stopping desserts like Warm Banana Pudding, Peaches and Cream Cake, Spreadable Cheesecake, and Pecan-Chewy Pie

You'll also find two hundred more quick breakfasts, weeknight dinners, holiday centerpieces, seasonal preserves, and traditional preparations for all kinds of cooks.