Anyone with a family knows that settling down means stepping things up—changing the way you live and eat for the better. My first solo cookbook, Jamie Deen’s Good Food, is truly reflective of my grown up life as a husband, father and cook—my personal style, tastes and values, which always includes sitting down together as a family over a home-cooked meal that everyone can enjoy. In this book I put my personal and professional skills to the test to create great family dishes that are fresh, seasonal, healthy, and appeal to adults and kids alike. Broken down into simple chapters like From the Ground Up, Soup Kitchen, By Sea, Hand Holdin’, and The Big Payoff. And for some additional fun, flip the book over to see the special Rooster’s Café section featuring a handful of my 6-year-old son Jack’s kid-friendly recipes that I hope will have the same positive impact on young cooks as the first cookbook Momma gave me. Each of the 125 tried and true recipes in this book includes accompanying photography, prep and cooking times, helpful tips such as how to dress up a meal for adults (or dress it down for the kids), inspiring ideas for leftovers or how to pick the right produce. Of course, this book wouldn’t be complete without my family’s influence, so I’ve included photographs of my mama Paula, my brother Bobby, my Uncle Bubba, my beautiful wife Brooke, and our two precious boys Jack and Matthew. I’m also happy to give y’all an insider’s look at our unique city, Savannah, and the surrounding low country. I’ve included personal family stories for each chapter and my suggestions for the perfect pantry and spice rack—all in the hopes to get your whole family enthusiastic about cooking and eating well. From a Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons to a Homemade Black Bean Burger with Pico de Gallo, Crispy Parmesan Chicken Cutlets with Arugula and Avocado to Grilled Salmon on White Wine Soaked Cedar Planks, Jack’s Favorite Toffee Blondies to The Deen Family Eggnog, Collard Greens with Drop Corn Dumplings and a special section on Bits and Pieces to help you with your basics, I really believe that the recipes in my book will bring as much satisfaction and happiness to your home as they’ve brought to ours.
