"Annie Johnson came into our lives when I was six weeks old. It was January of 1961 in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, and everyone in the family except my father had chicken pox. It was a crisis that needed a quick solution, and Annie was the solution." With those words, Jane Lee Rankin warmly welcomes readers into the world of Annie Johnson, the family cook, teacher, lifelong friend and African American woman who introduced the author to the world of traditional Southern cooking.

The result is a double dose of pleasure. In this new, updated version, Cookin’ Up A Storm – The Life and Recipes of Annie Johnson (Grace Publishers, $19.95), Jane Lee Rankin pays a loving tribute to Annie and shares with us their special relationship that brings new life to timeless, home-style recipes. Not only is Cookin’ Up A Storm an engaging read that heightens culinary awareness, each page offers wonderful life lessons from two unique women who exemplify cultural understanding, mutual respect and deep affection.

The book is chock full of delicious versions of homemade favorites. Jane Lee Rankin applies her professional training to convert Annie’s ‘pinches of this’ and ‘dashes of that’ into easy-to-prepare classics. From fried apples, cinnamon rolls and corn pudding to stuffed green peppers, barbecue pork and a slew of homemade pies, Cookin’ Up A Storm serves up tried and true dishes made with love. A truly American original, Cookin’ Up A Storm will appeal to cooks looking for an authentic resource for classic Southern fare and enhance the daily lives of readers through this touching, personal story. Your table will be enriched, and you will emerge a richer person having shared the experience of Cookin’ Up A Storm. New Revised Second Edition! Grace Publishers independently published Cookin’ Up A Storm – The Life and Recipes of Annie Johnson in May of 1998 in hardcover. (A limited number First Edition copies are still available) The second edition, in paperback and a new color cover (pictured above), has just been received from the printer. It features a new foreword by John Egerton, the story of the book and more of Annie’s life story.

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