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There's a quote that John Shelton Reed and his wife, Dale Volberg Reed, like to bring up when they talk about their new book, "Cornbread Nation 4: The Best of Southern Food Writing."

They'll mention their friend John Egerton, a Kentucky native writer who calls himself a "professional South-watcher." When they do, either Dale or John will hustle from the back porch and pull a book to make sure they get the quote just right.

It's what Egerton said about cornbread.

"It's not that we don't like it; rather, it's as if we somehow think we've risen above it," he said. "I have not turned my back on corn dodgers and hoecake, never will I.

"That would be a betrayal of my heritage and a denial of my roots -- not to mention a punishment for my taste buds."

The Reeds believe that.

You see that in the book they edited, "Cornbread Nation 4," the fourth installment from the Southern Foodways Alliance, a group that documents the diverse food cultures of the American South.

The Reeds sorted through hundreds of entries and picked 53 installments. Stories, speeches, photos and poems -- they are all there, plus some recipes. Here are a few.

Braised Collard Greens

1 pound collard greens, cleaned and stemmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup (about ¾ ounce) thin strips of country ham

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1/3 cup aged sherry vinegar, or more to taste

1/3 cup tupelo honey, or more to taste

½ cup smoked pork stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup butter

Cut the greens into chiffonade about ½ inch wide and blanch in salted boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain, refresh in ice water and squeeze dry.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Saute the ham and shallot. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and stir in the honey. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.

Add the greens and cook at a healthy simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the greens to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Heat the cooking liquid and boil until it is reduced to about ¾ cup. Taste and adjust seasonings. (You may want to add a little more honey or vinegar). Add the butter, stirring constantly until it melts. Return the greens to the pan and toss to eat. Serves 6.

Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream

1 cup milk

¾ cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup smooth natural peanut butter

1½ cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup salted roasted shelled peanuts, chopped

Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until just hot.

Meanwhile, beat the sugar and eggs together in a medium-sized bowl until thick and pale yellow.

Gradually, whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture in the bowl, then pour the milk-egg mixture into the saucepan.

Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook the custard, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the peanut butter.

Strain the custard into a large bowl, let cool briefly, stirring often, then stir in the cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until cold, six to eight hours.

Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions, adding half of the nuts to the ice cream 30 seconds before it has finished churning.

Transfer to a bowl, quickly swirl in the remaining peanut butter, cover and freeze until hard. Serve ice cream sprinkled with the remaining nuts.

You can gild the lily by topping this ultra-peanut ice cream with chocolate cause or hot fudge.

Makes about 1 quart.

Chicken Purloo

1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons peanut oil

2 cups diced yellow onion

1 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1½ cups diced green bell pepper

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1 cup peeled diced eggplant

2 cups long-grain white rice

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup diced tasso or other smoked ham

2 cups okra, sliced 1/3-inch thick

¼ cup red wine

2½ cups canned whole peeled tomatoes, chopped

2 cups chicken stock or canned broth

Tabasco sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Season the chicken with salt to taste.

Place 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

Add the onion (and 1 teaspoon of oil, if necessary) to the pan, and sauté until golden brown, about 6 minutes.

Add the celery (and 1 teaspoon of oil if necessary) and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.

Add the garlic, bell pepper, red pepper flakes, basil, thyme and bay leaves; sauté for two minutes.

Add the eggplant (and 1 teaspoon of oil, if necessary) and saute until the eggplant is tender, about four minutes more.

Transfer all the vegetables and pan juices to a wide 3- to 4-quart ovenproof casserole dish and spread them in an even layer.

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a sauté pan and add the rice.

Saute until the rice is lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

Spread the rice in an even layer over the vegetables in the casserole.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper over the rice.

Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the sauté pan. When hot, add the tasso, stirring until it is fragrant.

Add the okra and sauté until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the wine and cook until the pan is almost dry.

Add the tomatoes; simmer vigorously until the mixture has thickened, about 6 minutes.

In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a boil, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Layer the okra and tomato mixture over the rice in the casserole. Arrange the chicken pieces on top, placing the thigh and leg portions near the edge of the pan and the breast pieces in the center.

Top with any juices from the bowl of chicken.

Pour the hot stock into the casserole and cover the dish tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.

Bake until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, about one hour.

Transfer the chicken pieces to a platter. Toss the rice and vegetables in the dish and season to taste with salt, black pepper, and Tabasco sauce.

On each of 4 plates, place a portion of chicken and a serving of rice and vegetables.

Serve hot. Serves 4.