Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing are two of the most admired and innovative young chefs in the South. Their distinctive brand of cooking is praised for its brilliant juxtaposition of rustic flavors with refined, classically inspired preparations.

Southern Comfort is not only their much-anticipated debut cookbook, but also Allison and Slade’s personal story: their childhood food memories and family traditions growing up in Louisiana and Mississippi, how they met and fell in love in a New Orleans kitchen, and lessons learned working in top restaurants in San Francisco and New York. It also describes their bittersweet homecoming and the opening of their first restaurant just days before Hurricane Katrina hit. And perhaps most importantly, Southern Comfort shares Allison and Slade’s deep-rooted love for the area—its history, its cuisine, and its people—which inspired them to stay in New Orleans and keep cooking.

These 100 recipes reflect Allison and Slade’s refreshing approach to regional cuisine, with its pitch-perfect blend of high and low. Dishes like Hush Puppies with Caviar, Sweet Tea–Roasted Duck in Date Sauce, and their legendary Oysters Rockefeller “Deconstructed” are modern in technique and execution, yet inspired by the traditions, ingredients, and down-home philosophy that make Southern food so appealing.

At its heart, Southern Comfort is a celebration: of local ingredients, New Orleans’s vibrant food culture, and Allison and Slade’s shared Southern upbringing. Brimming with flavorful recipes and stories, it showcases the very best that the New South has to offer.