Southern Gulf Table

Some of the best food in America has never needed a restaurant. And the best of it comes out at the end of the meal.

Bread pudding warm from the oven with whiskey sauce poured over the top. A pecan pie cooling on the counter. A pan of pralines stirred until the sugar turns. The Gulf Coast has always saved its finest work for dessert, and Southern Gulf Table, Volume 2: The Complete Dessert Collection gathers that tradition into one book meant to be baked from.

Drawn from generations of Creole, Cajun, and Bayou kitchens, this volume covers the whole sweet side of the Gulf Coast table:

• Bread Puddings, Warm Desserts, and Cool Desserts
• Cakes, Cookies, and Bars
• Pies and Pastries
• Confections, including pralines and old-fashioned candy
• Frozen Desserts and Ice Cream
• Sweet Toppings, Sauces, and Glazes

An introduction to Gulf Coast holiday food traditions sets the recipes in context, so you know not only how each dish is made but where it comes from.

Volume 2 also includes a Practical Info section with kitchen knowledge, recipe components, sauces, and charts and measurements, including candy-making temperatures and oven guides. A chapter of menus for every occasion carries the book through New Year's, Mardi Gras, Easter, birthdays and anniversaries, patriotic holidays, summer outings, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. A full index lets you find a recipe by name, ingredient, or type of dessert.

Whether you are baking for a church supper, a birthday, or a quiet Sunday afternoon, this is a collection to cook from, return to, and pass down.

Looking for the savory side? Volume 1: Appetizers, Entrées & Everything Savory completes the set.