If you watched the 13th season of Food Network’s Food Network Star, where they were trying to find a new chef to feature on their shows, then you probably still remember the dynamic Jason Smith. When you first saw him, he seemed like a mild-mannered Southern chef, but as the weeks went on, and you saw more of his real personality, you found yourself drawn in by his sweet kindness, his delicious food, his down-home country phrases, and that special magic that elevates someone from chef to star. Because anyone watching Food Network Star, or the third season of their Holiday Baking Championship, which he also won, could see that Smith would be a star.

Now you can see him mostly as a judge on baking shows, but if that’s not enough for you, then you can spend time with Smith and his food via his new cookbook, Lord Honey. The subhead for this collection packed with Southern recipes says it all: Traditional Southern Recipes with a Country Bling Twist. Smith has taken the recipes he learned form his mother and grandmother and all the other Southern women who taught him to cook and put his special twist on the dishes, adding surprising flavors and inventive spins on classic favorites. But he also understands that we all have busy lives, so he adds in time-savers and doesn’t insist that everything be homemade. Except the biscuits, of course. The biscuits have to be homemade, and Smith includes his favorite recipes for them.

He leans into his favorite Kentucky flavors, with recipes for Blackberry Crunch Muffins, Sweet Tea and Bourbon Fried Chicken, Kentucky Bourbon Cake with Chocolate Ganache, and even a Hot Brown Breakfast Quiche based on the iconic Hot Brown Sandwich. But he also brings his own special takes on classic Southern dishes like three different types of Deviled Eggs, Easy Collard Greens, Smothered Shrimp and Grits, Green ‘Mater Chow-Chow, Pimiento-Cheese Waffle Sandwich, Firecracker Catfish with Fresh Corn Relish, Fast-Pickled Okra, Country Ham and Redeye Gravy, Super-Creamy Mac and Cheese Bake, and his Fried Green ‘Mater and Bacon Samich.

And mixed in with all these recipes and the photographs that make your mouth water are bits and pieces of Smith’s wit and wisdom. From his “happier than a pig in mud” to his “busier than an 18-hour bra on a 24-hour shift,” Smith’s big personality and joy of cooking come through on every page. Whether you’re looking to make some Quick Chicken and Dumplin’s that “will make a tomcat lick a kitten,” or you’re after his Award-Winnin’ 7-Minute Frostin’ that works as a frosting or a meringue and won him the Holiday Baking Championship, or you just want a cookbook filled with good Southern food, then you will find something to love in Lord Honey.

I have been a big fan of Jason Smith for many years, watching him win the Holiday Baking Competition and then being thrilled to see him again on Next Food Network Star, rooting for him to win again. I was so excited to see that he had a cookbook coming out, but I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from it. Lord Honey is more than just a book full of recipes with a few stories of growing up. It’s a celebration of Southern flavors and of family, and it even includes a family photo album with pictures of Smith as a kid and the generations in his family who taught him and encouraged him in the kitchen. There’s even a photo of him with Carla Hall, who wrote the foreword to the book. Smith’s food is him on a plate, and Lord Honey is him in a book, making this cookbook more than the sum of its parts. It’s a special gift to his fans, a celebration for his family and friends, and an homage to the Southern chefs who filled our stomachs, our hearts, and our spirits for generations.

Egalleys for Lord Honey were provided by Pelican Publishing through Edelweiss, with many thanks.