Food can evoke so many rich memories. A book by Savannah food writer Jonathan Barrett captures some of the stories tied to Southern recipes. We talked with Barrett, author of the new book Cook & Tell, in 2017. We also heard from freelance writer Amy Condon, who contributed her own story to the book.

On Second Thought for Tuesday, April 24, 2018.

Culinary historian Michael Twitty traces his ancestry—both black and white—through food. In his memoir, "The Cooking Gene," he asks the question: Who owns Southern food? We talked with him in 2017.

From sweet tea to fried chicken, every Southern dish tells a story. Southern food scholar Adrian Miller and Ashli Stokes of the Center for the Study of the New South helped us dig into the history of mac and cheese, and how the creamy dish helps us understand Southern identity. We spoke with them in December. Stokes is co-author of the book “Consuming Identity: The Role of Food in Redefining the South." Miller is author of the book "Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time."

As we head into warmer weather, we dove into the little-known origins of a Southern staple: sweet tea. These days you can find it just about everywhere in Georgia. However, there was a time when sweet tea was more rare. Producer Sean Powers learned about this history with freelance journalist Tove Danovich and Vernell Mosley of the Sweet Tea Factory.

Tags: Cook and Tell  The Cooking Gene  Vernell Mosley  Tove Danovich  fried chicken  mac and cheese  soul food  Jonathan Barrett  Michael Twitty  Amy Condon