appeared in 2008, and her new book Basic to Brilliant, Y'all: 150 Refined Southern Recipes and Ways to Dress Them Up for Company
will be on shelves next month. A graduate of L'Academie de Cuisine and Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne, Willis’ wide and varied food career started in Atlanta as an apprentice to Nathalie Dupree. She worked with Dupree on four PBS series and cookbooks, including the James Beard award-winning Comfortable Entertaining
. She also spent several years as an editorial assistant with culinary authority Anne Willan on various projects including Cook It Right
. Willis honed her attention to detail as the Kitchen Director for Martha Stewart Living Television where she supervised the food segments for the Emmy-award winning television show. As Executive Producer for Epicurious on The Discovery Channel, she traveled the world taping fantastic stories about food. You can find her product line My Southern Pantry on her site and follow her blog for great recipes and stories. She currently has a proposed TV series Starting from Scratch as well. I managed to steal a moment from her busy schedule to ask what are you reading? Virginia:
- about life before Columbus --I started reading this because my friend, Chef Deb Snow owner of the Blue Heron, told me about it. A lot of this book is not about food so far, but so much of it in terms of culture, politics, and anthropology does involve food. The most intriguing parts of the book are about corn and other vegetables from South America vs those from Europe. I've learned from this book that old world vs new world doesn't really work anymore. That kind of language is indicative of prejudice. The "new world" had been a world for at least as long as the "old world." 
(by Barry Estabrook). 
Good Fish
(by Becky Selengut) Beautiful, beautiful book about sustainable seafood of the Pacific. Sustainable seafood is a passion and a cause for me. I was designated a seafood ambassador with Seafood Watch this year. I am thrilled to be a small part of a greater cause for improving the situation and educating readers about why sustainable seafood is so important. 
(by Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot) I mostly shy away from molecular gastronomy, but I am somewhat curious about it. And, for those folks completely dragging their heels, my question is would you prefer calves hooves instead of gelatin sheets? As cooks, as people, we should always strive to learn and grow. 
The Spirituality of Imperfection
(by Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham) As I grow older I find it increasingly necessary to find more balance and focus. One practice I have returned to doing is saying a prayer of thanks before eating a meal. Even if someone has an issue with traditional religion, I think it is important to take a moment. To seriously, just take a moment in your day out of this busy, hectic world we occupy. In that moment I think it is important to give thanks for the food one is about to receive, the hands that put it in front of you, and the hands that grew or harvested the food. It takes a lot of work to get that food on your plate. 
I was fortunate enough to spend time with Julia Child when I lived and worked in France. It's a real pleasure to see behind the scenes of the making of one of the greatest culinary educators and culinary icons of our time. Thank you for participating, Virginia. Check back to see who answers the question next time and what other books are recommended.
Previous WAYR posts:
Jaden Hair
Michael Ruhlman
Monica Bhide
Michael Natkin
Sara Roahen
Andrea Nguyen
David Lebovitz
Rick Bayless
Tara Austen Weaver
Mollie Katzen
Deborah Madison
Soup Peddler
Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan
Robb Walsh
Kim Severson
David Leite
Dan Lepard
Carolyn Jung
Joan Nathan
Melissa Clark
Dianne Jacob
Zoë Francois
Yotam Ottolenghi
Lucinda Scala Quinn
Barbara Lynch
Addie Broyles
Cheryl Tan
Joanne Chang
Kim Boyce
Barry Estabrook
Gesine Bullock-Prado
previously titled 
. Her latest book, 
, is a recipe book for cooking with sugar. The stages of cooked sugar, going from thread stage to hard-crack and the stages in between, are explained with a chapter and delectable recipes for each. There’s rock candy, a few variations on fudge, fruit gummis, taffy, fleur de sel caramels, cotton candy, and several more ideas I can’t wait to try. And, at the end of the book, there’s a chapter for combining different techniques and components like topping the meringues in an ile flottant with heart-shaped pralines. A book full of sugar treats is naturally fun to peruse, but this one is also written in a way that entertainingly conveys the details and instructions for sugar work. You can catch Gesine on the Today show on June 28th when she’ll be demonstrating some patriotic treats in time for the fourth of July, and she’s already busy at work on her next book, Pie it Forward, which will be released next April. I had a few questions for Gesine about sugar work, treats in Austin, and books, and she was kind enough to answer:
had an impact on me as far as my bread baking is concerned. I'm a marathon runner and am always looking for a way to incorporate baking into my training and there are ideas and foods mentioned in the book that I've brought into my baking world to help with carbo loading and long runs. 
brought back my years at UVA and the fabulous crud we'd eat late night. It led to me making homemade donuts, grilling them and making an ice cream sandwich a la our corner diner, The Spot's "grillswith." It brought me back to my days of debauchery. 
and 
are perennial favorites and always good for inspiration. 
by Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barber: It's beautifully done, this gem of a cookbook. But they're locals. They have a wonderful restaurant, Pane e Salute in Woodstock, VT that's unbelievable. They walk the walk. 
by Deborah Krasner. It's THE guide to sourcing sustainable meat AND it's gorgeous, respectful and informative. 
by Jeffrey Hamelman. I teach a few times a year at King Arthur Flour, I love their flour, I live just five minutes away from their headquarters and the DANGEROUS Baker's store, so I have a soft spot for everything associated with it. Jeffrey Hamelman is KAF's resident grand poobah of levain; the GURU of bread. We're so lucky to have the reigning king of bread in our hood. He won't steer you wrong.
(for free, no less!). It had been decades since I’d read the novel. Having recently reported on the exploitation of workers in Florida’s tomato industry for my book, 
The book is full of color photographs, both evocative and step-by-step how-to. The recipes are imaginative. And the ingredients are seasonable and sustainable.
by 
. Last summer I saw her speak and was captivated and moved by her often hysterical and touching stories of cultivating a farm and eventually a community on land that she didn't own. Her story was quite inspiring and I found myself putting the book down so that it would last longer and longer. 
. I like to find inspiration by just opening up the book and reading the page I turn to. Her flavor combinations are simple and clean, something that I admire and strive for in my own pastries.
.