Southern food is fast becoming the nation’s new “it” cuisine. New York restaurants are all trying their hand at fried chicken, and eateries with a Southern theme are popping up in each of the city’s boroughs. Based in the Big Apple, Bon Appetit Magazine called the South “America’s New Food Capital” in its February issue.

Southerners have long known we have a special cuisine and some downright good food down here, but Southern food used to be limited to home kitchens, with mothers and grandmothers serving as the keepers of family recipes. Now that the rest of America is discovering the cuisine, chefs are stepping up to the plate to show that Southern food can be modern and healthy.

Each spring, as the camellias start to bloom and the days get a little bit longer, Girl Scouts begin setting up tables in front of local businesses. If you have a Scout for a neighbor, you might get a knock on the door, but otherwise you’ll need to drive around town to get your annual cookie fix.

Introduced in honor of the Girl Scouts 100th anniversary this year, Savannah Smiles are bite-sized, lemon-flavored and dusted in powdered sugar.

New Year’s Day in the South means two things: food and football. But it’s the former that takes center stage on this day. The South has a rich history filled with food and, to many, it’s the tradition behind why we eat certain dishes on New Year’s that keeps us eating them year after year.

Mark the first day of winter with a hot toddy this evening, courtesy of Atlanta’s Woodfire Grill and Spice Market and New Orleans’ Tales of the Toddy, which shared a few recipes with us. Here’s to getting through the chilly days ahead with a libation that would make Faulkner proud.

4 Chefs. 12 Recipes. 1 Distinctly Southern Thanksgiving. In magazines from Bon Appetit to Better Homes and Gardens, Southern style seems to rule Thanksgiving this year. In its November issue, Bon Appetit sat down at the table with Alabama designer Billy Reid and Oxford, Mississippi, restauranteur John Currence. Better Homes and Gardens turned to North Carolina Foster’s Market owner and Chef Sara Foster for a classic Thanksgiving menu. Here at Deep South, we decided to round up a few Southern chefs (and one bartender) of our own and ask them what they’re serving on their Thanksgiving table.