Pre-orders available now on all major digital platforms

About the book

Experience a vibrant blend of recipes and captivating stories that celebrate life, laughter, and Southern culture. This journey through food and friendship offers a lighter and natural foods twist on classic flavors, inviting you to gather around the table with joy and adventure. 

Gaynell’s Kitchen: Down Home Cooking from A Wayward Southern Belle stirs up a genre-bending mix of music and film stories, recipes, backstage and red-carpet moments and a full rich life. Part cookbook, part memoir, it serves sass, soul, and grit in equal measure. With heart, wit, and the hard-earned wisdom of a four-time cancer survivor, Gaynell takes you on a journey through food, friendship, celebrity encounters, and the sheer luck of a life well-lived, all simmered together in one lively gumbo pot.

Southern and healthy? You bet. Gaynell’s love of Southern culture and food comes with a lighter, greener twist, ensuring that flavor and fun never take a backseat. At its heart, this book is about easy, affordable natural foods cooking that nourishes your family and friends, served with a heaping spoonful of laughter.

Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or just starting your culinary adventure, Gaynell’s Kitchen invites you to explore a world where every recipe tells a story, and every meal is a celebration. Discover how to create dishes that not only satisfy the palate but also warm the heart. With Gaynell as your guide, you’ll learn to embrace the joy of cooking and the importance of gathering around the table, making memories that last a lifetime. Join her in this delightful culinary journey that promises to inspire and uplift, reminding us that food is more than just sustenance; it’s a way to connect, share, and celebrate life.

What people are saying

  • “THIS is gumbo. Everything else is soup!”

    Taj Mahal

  • “I grew up in the South. I always look forward to getting a Southern style meal. What is so fabulous is this great Southern meal has tremendous flavors, yet I can rest comfortably, knowing that it is perfectly healthy. Hmmmmm. Please pass some more of that buttermilk cornbread….”

    Charlie Musselwhite

  • “Gaynell keeps her pots, skillet and marriage cooking with the same sass and soul, good sense and great taste. Who says you can’t eat healthy AND Southern?”

    Bonnie Raitt

  • "After countless adventures and globe-trotting escapades, Gaynell and Roy have been the ultimate travel buddies, sprinkling joy and inspiration along the way. They’ve shown us all how to not just survive but thrive on the open road! And now, Gaynell is ready to share her secret recipes for living the good life—because if anyone knows how to mix fun with flavor, it's her!"

    Steve Miller