Preserving Family Recipes: How to Save and Celebrate Your Food Traditions. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2015. (ISBN: 978-0-8203-3063-1)
To view the book trailer, click HERE.
For updates and news, please "like" my author Facebook page: Valerie J. Frey
Click HERE for a quick description of the book.
How to Get a Copy:
1. Your local book store.
If your nearest book shop doesn't have Preserving Family Recipes, they can order it for you. The nearest independent bookstore to you can be found by clicking HERE.
2. Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia may sell copies. www.avidbookshop.com. Or you can give them a call at 706-352-2060.
3. UGA Press. Click here.
4. Barnes & Noble. Click here.
5. Amazon. Click here.
Signed and Inscribed Books:
I am happy to sign/inscribe books for your collection or for you to give as a gift. See the note above about ordering signed copies from Avid Bookshop. To meet me, see the list of upcoming book events in the News section of this website or you can contact me to find out when I might be in your area. I'm sorry, but I cannot mail books to you. Contact me, however, if you would like a signed bookplate you can add yourself.
Bulk/Wholesale Orders:
To carry this book in your gift shop or order large quantities, please see UGA Press information HERE. Contact information for their Marketing and Sales Department can be found HERE.
Georgia’s Historical Recipes: Seeking Our State’s Oldest Written Foodways and the Stories Behind Them. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2025. (ISBN: 9-780-8203-6796-5)
For updates and news, please "like" my author Facebook page: Valerie J. Frey
Click HERE for a description of the book.
How to Get a Copy:
1. Your local book store.
If your nearest book shop doesn't have a copy, they may be able order it for you. The nearest independent bookstore to you can be found by clicking HERE.
2. Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia may sell copies. www.avidbookshop.com. Or you can give them a call at 706-352-2060.
3. UGA Press. Click here.
4. Barnes & Noble. Click here.
5. Amazon. Click here.
Signed and Inscribed Books:
I am happy to sign/inscribe books for your collection or for you to give as a gift. See the note above about ordering signed copies from Avid Bookshop. To meet me, see the list of upcoming book events in the News section of this website or you can contact me to find out when I might be in your area. I'm sorry, but I cannot mail books to you. Contact me, however, if you would like a signed bookplate you can add yourself.
Bulk/Wholesale Orders:
To carry this book in your gift shop or order large quantities, please see UGA Press information HERE. Contact information for their Marketing and Sales Department can be found HERE.
House-Keeping in the Sunny South. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2025. (9-780-8203-7406-2)
For updates and news, please "like" my author Facebook page: Valerie J. Frey
Click HERE for a description of the book.
How to Get a Copy:
1. Your local book store.
If your nearest book shop doesn't have a copy, they can order it for you. The nearest independent bookstore to you can be found by clicking HERE.
2. Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia may sell copies. www.avidbookshop.com. Or you can give them a call at 706-352-2060.
3. UGA Press. Click here.
4. Barnes & Noble. Click here.
5. Amazon. Click here.
Signed and Inscribed Books:
I am happy to sign/inscribe books for your collection or for you to give as a gift. See the note above about ordering signed copies from Avid Bookshop. To meet me, see the list of upcoming book events in the News section of this website or you can contact me to find out when I might be in your area. I'm sorry, but I cannot mail books to you. Contact me, however, if you would like a signed bookplate you can add yourself.
Bulk/Wholesale Orders:
To carry this book in your gift shop or order large quantities, please see UGA Press information HERE. Contact information for their Marketing and Sales Department can be found HERE.
The Living Shoreline: How a Small, Squishy Animal is a Coastal Hero. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2022. (ISBN: 9-780-8203-6244-1)
For updates and news, please "like" my author Facebook page: Valerie J. Frey
Click HERE for a description of the book.
How to Get a Copy:
1. Your local book store.
If your nearest book shop doesn't have a copy, they can order it for you. The nearest independent bookstore to you can be found by clicking HERE.
2. Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia may sell copies. www.avidbookshop.com. Or you can give them a call at 706-352-2060.
3. UGA Press. Click here.
4. Barnes & Noble. Click here.
5. Amazon. Click here.
Signed and Inscribed Books:
I am happy to sign/inscribe books for your collection or for you to give as a gift. See the note above about ordering signed copies from Avid Bookshop. To meet me, see the list of upcoming book events in the News section of this website or you can contact me to find out when I might be in your area. I'm sorry, but I cannot mail books to you. Contact me, however, if you would like a signed bookplate you can add yourself.
Bulk/Wholesale Orders:
To carry this book in your gift shop or order large quantities, please see UGA Press information HERE. Contact information for their Marketing and Sales Department can be found HERE.
Georgia’s Historical Recipes (GHR) lists the earliest cookbooks related to the state. Click on the links below to view them or purchase reprint copies. If a title is missing from the list below (chronological by GHR section) that means that it is currently not available outside a seller of rare books or a special collections library. The WorldCat website can help you find a cookbook in a library or archives.
Please check back periodically as some titles will soon be republished.
1859 — The Southern Gardener and Receipt Book
Mary Edgeworth
(Cartersville, Fort Valley).
1866 —Verstille’s Southern Cookery
Ellen Jane Verstille
(Columbus, Savannah).
This link doesn’t always work smoothly. You can search for this title with Andrews McMeel Publishing.
1867 — Mrs. Hill’s New Cook Book
Annabella Hill
(Madison, Monticello, LaGrange, Atlanta).
1877 — Hotel Keepers, Head Waiters, and Housekeepers’ Guide (1848)
Tunis Campbell of New Jersey
(Georgia coast, Milledgeville).
1880 — Choice Recipes of Georgia Housekeepers
Second Presbyterian Church, Augusta.
If the link loads too slowly, this title can be found on Amazon.
1883 — The Dixie Cook Book
Estelle Wilcox of Ohio.
1885 — House-Keeping in the Sunny South
Ella Ruth Tennent
(Marietta).
1887 — Cooking for Profit (1893)
Jessup Whitehead of England and Kansas. Use the author link on the Internet Archive page to find additional titles.
1892 — Hints from Southern Epicures
Independent Presbyterian Church, Savannah.
1894 —Annie Dennis’ Cook Book
Annie Dennis
(Talbotton, Atlanta, Macon).
If the link loads too slowly, this title can be found on Amazon.
1895 — The Atlanta Exposition Souvenir Cook Book
Ida Bailey
(Washington, D. C.)
This title will soon be available. Please check back for updates.
1895 — The Atlanta Exposition Cookbook
(First published as Tested Recipe Cook Book)
Mrs. Henry Lumpkin Wilson
(Atlanta)
1912 — Favorite Southern Recipes
Southern Ruralist, Atlanta.
1927 —Southern Cooking
Henrietta Dull
(Dublin, Flowery Branch, Atlanta).
What if an important old recipe doesn’t work well in your modern kitchen? Or perhaps you’d like to dig into the background of a favorite old recipe, putting it in historical context. The bibliography sections of Preserving Family Recipes and Georgia’s Historical Recipes can help you learn about useful print and online sources for such work.
Still need help? Or too busy to do the research?
If you would like to hire me to perform research services, please contact me for pricing and details via email at valeriejfrey at gmail dot com.
News:
Preserving Family Recipes
Listen to a live radio interview recorded November 26, 2024 for WNYC’s program “All of It” with Alison Stewart. www.wnyc.org/story/preserving-your-favorite-family-recipes/
Upcoming Events:
(All programs are in person rather than virtual/online unless otherwise noted.)
Georgia’s Historical Recipes
12 December 2025, 12:00 PM
Lunch & Learn lecture series.
This program is free and open to the public.
Georgia Archives
5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow GA 30260.
www.georgiaarchives.org
A Taste of the Past: Historical Recipes and the Stories They Tell
January 10, 2026
In-person program on Georgia’s Historical Recipes and
Preserving Family Recipes with a focus on genealogy
Clarke-Oconee Genealogical Society (COGS)
Venue: Athens-Clarke County Library, 2025 Baxter Street,
Athens 30606. 706-613-3650.
https://cogsgenealogy.org
A Taste of the Past: Historical Recipes and the Stories They Tell
27 January 2026, 7:00 PM EST.
Cobb County Genealogical Society
First Presbyterian Church, 189 Church Street,
Marietta GA 30060.
https://cobbgagensoc.org
This program is free and open to the public.
Georgia’s Historical Recipes
January 28, 7:00 PM
Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW.
404-814-4129.
Event/venue website: atlantahistorycenter.com
Preserving Family Recipes
January 31, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
In-person program/workshop on Preserving Family Recipes
Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road, Columbus 31906.
706-243-2669
Event/venue website: www.cvlga.org
How to Read a Cookbook (Like a Historian)
February 22, 2:00 PM
Athens-Clarke County Library, 2025 Baxter St, Athens 30606
Georgia’s Historical Recipes
February 26, 6:00 PM
In-person program on Georgia’s Historical Recipes and
Columbus foodways
Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road, Columbus 31906.
706-243-2669.
Georgia’s Historical Recipes
March 12, 2026, TBA
In-person panel discussion
University of Georgia Libraries/Hargrett Collection
Richard B. Russell Building, 300 South Hull Street, Athens
30605.
Georgia’s Historical Recipes
March 24, Reception 6:00 PM, Presentation at 6:30 PM
Other Night School, University of West Georgia, Carrollton.
www.westga.edu/administration/advancement/global-engagements-and-cultural-events/culturelab/index.php#events
Georgia’s Historical Recipes
April 21, 6:30 PM
Author “meet-and-greet” begins at 6:00 PM
Office of Continuing Education, University of Georgia at Griffin
Venue location: Stuckey Conference Center,
1109 Experiment Street, Griffin GA 30223. 770-229-3478. https://griffin.uga.edu/category/continuing-education
Georgia’s Historical Recipes
April 23, 10:00 AM
OLLI, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at University of Georgia
River’s Crossing, 850 College Station Road, Athens 30606
https://olli.uga.edu
For more information about book programs, please contact me at valeriejfrey at gmail dot com. A description of possible programs can be found on this website under the “Program Descriptions” tab.
I am happy to talk to your group in person or online. I can do a simple reading or a longer program as described below. A presentation or reading can also be turned into a cooking workshop.
I developed the three programs listed below based on my books, aiming to be of interest even to those who don't cook. Although they are geared to adults, my presentations are appropriate for all audiences. For each presentation, I use an image-rich PowerPoint to discuss the value of historical foodways and recipes/cookbooks as historical sources. My presentation usually lasts 45 minutes to an hour, and I'm happy to welcome audience questions and comments afterwards.
1. Preserving Family Recipes — I discuss working with older recipes, give tips on preserving heirloom materials, and briefly discuss what is needed in your "toolkit" to effectively work with your own family recipes.
2. Georgia’s Historical Recipes — I explore sources of recipes in Georgia and the South before World War II. The presentation highlights various cookbooks and recipes, touching on some of the intriguing stories behind them. If your group is outside Georgia, I can make sure the content is still relevant.
3. How to Read a Cookbook…Like a Historian — When we pick up an old cookbook, what are the clues we can find about kitchens of the past and the lives of the people who cooked in them? Who are our nation’s early cookbook authors and what can their works teach us about our history? If your group is outside Georgia, I can create a list of some of your state’s early cookbooks.
Contact Me: I can be reached via email — valeriejfrey at gmail dot com. I can also be reached through the University of Georgia Press by clicking HERE.
Book Sales: With enough advance notice, I can usually bring a small number of books with me to sell at an in-person event. To discuss larger scale book sales with UGA Press, contact information for their Marketing and Sales Department can be found HERE. Or some local independent book shops will come out to events to sell books. Click HERE to find a seller near you.
Please contact me about interviews, book talks, and cooking presentations. I can be reached via email — valeriejfrey at gmail dot com. I can also be reached through the University of Georgia Press by clicking HERE.
Valerie J. Frey is a writer and archivist. Her projects focus on personal writing, storytelling, genealogy, local history, folklife, and the everyday home life of our ancestors.
Sapelo Island, Georgia was Valerie's first home and Cleveland County, Arkansas is her ancestral homeland, so both these places remain important sources of inspiration, but she considers Athens, Georgia her hometown. She spent many fine childhood hours there building tree forts in the woods, seeking out wild plums, and rooting through the town library.
Later, Valerie earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Art Education from the University of Georgia. Her master’s thesis, Folk Art in North Georgia: A Model Curriculum, wove together art, local history, and personal narratives. Her thesis experiences and a love for her grandparents' stories lured her into pursuing a master’s degree in Information Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where she concentrated on historical research and archives. Her second thesis is entitled Personal Information Systems: Journals and Diaries as Process and Product.
After graduate school, she served as a Junior Fellow in the Manuscripts Division of the Library of Congress and then became Manuscripts Archivist at the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah and Archivist of the Savannah Jewish Archives. During that time, she co-authored two books focusing on historic photographs and oral histories: Images of America: The Jewish Community of Savannah (Charleston: Arcadia Press, 2002) and Voices of Savannah (Savannah: Savannah Jewish Archives, 2004).
In 2003, Valerie became Education Coordinator of the Georgia Archives where she spent her time developing public service programs as well as creating resources for educators and their students. She won a grant from the Georgia Humanities Council to create Down Home Days, an annual event to help kids develop a love of history.
In 2007, marrying an Air Force officer took Valerie away from the South and she became a full-time writer as well as a consultant, contract archivist, temporary Northern Californian, and mother to one easygoing and charming boy. Now that she has returned to her hometown to live, she writes and conducts research full time.
(Top author photo by Amberlee Fletcher of Lilac Lens Photography, Nashville)
