Illinois Authors

Arcadia Pub., Charleston, S.C. : ©2012.

What was once described as an undesirable swampland has been transformed into one of the most beautiful and wealthiest neighborhoods in America. Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood, developed in the late 1800s, was first called the Astor Street District. It was named after one of the first multimillionaires in the United States, John Jacob Astor--even though Astor never lived in Chicago. In 1885, Astor Street District's first mansion was built. Potter Palmer, a dry goods merchant and owner of the Palmer House Hotel, built his palatial, castle-like residence on the corner of Lake Shore Drive and Banks Street; inside the Palmer mansion were 42 lavishly furnished rooms, which required 26 servants to maintain. Many wealthy Chicagoans followed Palmer's lead and built mansions in the neighborhood. Several homes took up an entire city block and, as time progressed, the name Gold Coast was adopted. On January 30, 1978, the entire Gold Coast district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Carol Pub. Group, Secaucus, N.J. : ©1998.

Kensington Books, New York : 2013.

Jones continues to be the master at creating dishes to excite your taste buds. Delicious!--Donna Hodge, food editor, N'DIGO magapaper Crawfish 'touf'e, Chicken Fried Steak, Creamed Spinach, Mixed Berry Cobbler. . .Is your mouth watering yet' These decadent, flavor-rich dishes are part of the long Southern tradition of smothered foods. Rooted in the author's upbringing and peppered throughout with personal anecdotes, Smothered Southern Foods explains the simple art of smothering as nothing more complicated than covering one food with another food or sauce, while baking or braising the dish in a covered skillet or pot. Vegetables, meats, and even desserts can be smothered, and the results are any food lover's delight. With tips on buying and storing vegetables, easy-to-follow directions and serving suggestions, and recipes for 105 mouthwatering favorites, Smothered Southern Foods is a delicious way to bring the true taste of the South into your own home, the way Southern chefs have cooked for generations. Foods that bring us comfort and are just darn good!--Art Smith, bestselling author of Back to the Table Includes scrumptious recipes for these smothered classics: Creamed Onions Buttered Kale Fricassee of Clams Sole in White Wine Sauce Chicken and Rice Pepper Steak Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Rum-Raisin Pears . . .And many more! Finger-licking meals for a new generation of soul food lovers.--Retha Hill, vice president of Content, BET.com Wilbert Jones is the president of Healthy Concepts, Inc., a Chicago-based food and beverage product development company, founded in 1993. He attended the 'cole de Gastronomie Fran'aise Ritz-Escoffier in Paris, and was a food scientist at Kraft Foods. In 2002 he was inducted into the prestigious Les Amis d'Escoffier Society of Chicago. Jones is also a contributing editor for Prepared Foods Magazine and a freelance special features writer for Black Entertainment Television's website. Wilbert's inspiration for cooking came from his grandmother Ruth Randle, who was one of the best cooks in Mississippi. Smothered Southern Foods is filled with special recipes and stories about Jones' childhood and recent meals prepared for his family and friends.

Carol Pub. Group, Secaucus, N.J. : 1997.

Carol Pub. Group, Secaucus, NJ : ©1996.

The down home pleasures of soul food no longer have to be off-limits because of excess fat, cholesterol, sugar and salt. The New Soul Food Cookbook offers a new look at tradition African American cuisine and provides contemporary version of 99 recipes--all with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and prepared with leaner meats, egg whites, less (or no) oil, nonfat dairy products, less sodium and fewer calories (Taken from inside front jacket.).

Citadel Press, New York, N.Y. : 2005.