Virginia Willis and Bon Appétit, Y’all (Revised and Updated)

Join us for an evening with Virginia Willis to celebrate her book Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking (Revised and Updated). This new edition of Bon Appetit, Y’all features new recipes—including recipes for both vegan and gluten-free biscuits—nearly 20 new photographs, and a heartfelt introduction that addresses and introduces Virginia’s health journey, weight loss, and how she balances some of the more indulgent classic Southern dishes with more healthy foods. A Capella Books will be the bookseller for the evening. Preorder the book from them here. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is requested.

About the Author:

Chef Virginia Willis is a James Beard award-winning cookbook author, Southern chef, TV and video personality, content creator, motivational speaker, and social media influencer. Georgia-born French-trained chef Virginia Willis has foraged for berries in the Alaskan wilderness, harvested capers in the shadow of a smoldering volcano in Sicily, and executed the food styling for a Super Bowl commercial seen by over 160 million people. Virginia lost 65 pounds and has kept it off for over 3 years. Her health journey has been documented in Eating Well, as a cover story for Woman’s World, Allrecipes, AARP, as well as the Rachel Ray Show. She has embraced her new outlook on life and has become a cheerleader for those wanting to make their life changes, “If a French-trained Southern chef can do it, you can, too!” As a result of her health journey, she founded Good and Good for You, a lifestyle brand that shares health and wellness strategies through digital channels, print media, and public speaking. Her column “Good and Good for You” featuring reliable, healthy, and delicious recipes runs bi-weekly in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In addition, she offers a weekly newsletter “Good and Good for You Living” featuring healthy recipes, best-life living tips, self-care techniques, and ideas and inspiration. It’s the science-backed tools, encouragement, and support to empower folks to live a better life. Her cookbooks include the revised and updated Bon Appétit, Y’all (UGA Press October 2024); Fresh Start; Secrets of the Southern Table, Lighten Up, Y’all, Basic to Brilliant, Y’all, Okra, and Grits. She is the former TV kitchen director for Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Nathalie Dupree; has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants; and traveled the world producing food stories—from making cheese in California to escargot farming in France. She has appeared on Alex vs America, The Rachel Ray Show, Food Network’s Chopped, CBS This Morning, Fox Family and Friends, Martha Stewart Living, and as a judge on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Virginia has also been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, People Magazine, Eater, and Food52. She has contributed to Eating Well, Garden & Gun, Bon Appétit, and more. The Chicago Tribune praised her as one of “Seven Food Writers You Need to Know.” Fans love her down-to-earth attitude and approachable spirit. Learn more about Virginia and Good and Good for You, her real-life approach to health and wellness for mind, body, and spirit at www.virginiawillis.com.

About the Book:

Bon Appétit, Y’all updates and revisions feature new recipes—including recipes for both vegan and gluten-free biscuits—nearly 20 new photographs, and a heartfelt introduction that addresses and introduces Virginia’s health journey, weight loss, and how she balances some of the more indulgent classic Southern dishes with more healthy foods.

She’s also touched nearly every recipe in the book, lightening many up with less fat and oil. (Big exceptions are the country classics like Fried Chicken, Fried Fatback, and Fried Catfish!) In addition, each chapter contains a selection of new commentary in the form of “Fresh Takes,” which includes serving suggestions, how to transform to gluten-free, how to lighten up, and swaps for time-saving store-bought prepared ingredients instead of chopping everything from scratch. It's more like how Virginia eats and cooks now in her home kitchen—a Mediterranean diet with a Southern accent. Over two hundred heritage and new recipes seamlessly blend into a thoroughly modern Southern cookbook. It’s more than a paperback reprint of a best-selling culinary classic, it’s well-written stories, a wealth of tips and techniques from a skilled and innovative teacher, and the wisdom of a renowned authority in American regional cuisine, steeped to her core in the food, culinary knowledge, and hospitality of the South.