Rebecca Gardner, the founder of Houses and Parties, grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, which she remembers as vibrant, colorful, and filled with family trips across the border into Mexico – back when that was much easier to do. But she also traveled quite a bit to visit family in the Mississippi Delta, where she was inspired by her grandmother, known as Neeny, who loved to entertain. After some fun-filled years at Ole Miss, Rebecca became friends with the legendary Delta writer, Julia Reed, who believed that a Southern party should always have something good to eat—and it should never be boring. In her beautiful new book, A Screaming Blast: Exceptional Entertaining, Rebecca is anything but boring. Every page is an example of her relentless creativity, her wild imagination, and her belief that celebrating with friends and family is one of the great joys of life. She also talks about how it doesn’t have to be that hard or expensive to entertain friends, especially when you know the right short cuts. Sid talks to Rebecca about the upcoming Bourbon Party they’re co-hosting at the Nashville Antiques & Garden Show in January, how to survive the holidays, and why every party needs a Pied Piper.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

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In this week’s episode, Sid Evans, Editor-in-Chief of Southern Living Magazine, chats with Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, a singer who’s lent her voice to some of the most well known music of the last 60 years. She got her start as a session singer when just a teenager in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and her voice helped songs from Percy Sledge and Elvis Presley become #1 hits. Eventually, she headed to California and made the transition from the studio to live performance after befriending Jerry Garcia and joining the Grateful Dead. She’s also got a love of both Southern and Californian cuisines and, of course, her grandmother’s delicious biscuits.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

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Fannie Flagg grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where she had close family ties to the Irondale Cafe, a restaurant that’s still serving fried chicken, creamed corn, and of course…fried green tomatoes. The beloved local spot was run by her aunt, Bess Fortenberry, and served as inspiration for her 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which she also adapted for the famous 1991 film. It was no accident that Fannie found success in the movie business. Both her father and grandfather worked as motion picture machine operators, which exposed Fannie to the magic of films at a young age. It also gave her just enough knowledge to bluff her way into running the spotlight at the local theater, where she eventually became both a performer and a writer. Now she’s out with her eleventh book, Something to Look Forward To, a collection of short stories featuring a lot of the quirky Southern characters she’s known for. Sid talks to Fannie about her early days in Birmingham, her very funny grandmother, and the upcoming movie adaptation of her novel, A Redbird Christmas.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

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All year long Sid has been asking his guests about how they celebrate the holidays, and in this episode we’re sharing some of those answers for the first time. You’ll hear brand new clips from some of his favorite interviews, including TV host and cookbook author Katie Lee Biegel, the incredible husband and wife duo known as The War and Treaty, Houston chef Tiffany Derry, country star Riley Green, and comedian Ellen Skrmetti.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Erika Council, a chef, author, and the owner of Atlanta’s wildly popular Bomb Biscuit Company, stopped by the Southern Living offices to do this interview in person. She grew up in Durham, North Carolina, though she spent plenty of time down the road in Goldsboro, where her grandmother ran the church kitchen like a five-star restaurant, even as she raised funds for civil rights. Erika’s talent runs deep on both sides of her family tree. Her paternal grandmother, Mildred Council—better known as Mama Dip—ran a legendary restaurant in Chapel Hill for more than 50 years, feeding everyone from college kids to Presidents. For a long time, Erika wasn’t sure she wanted to follow the same path, but of course, life had other plans. A few cooking side gigs turned into pop-ups, and those turned into a thriving breakfast business. She’s now a James Beard nominee and the author of Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit. Sid talks to Erika about her family’s legacy, the lessons baked into her journey, and how a simple biscuit can tell a much bigger story.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jamey Johnson has called Nashville home for half his life, but he was raised in Montgomery, Alabama, in a family where pretty much everyone either played an instrument or sang. His grandfather was said to be a great singer, too, with a deep rumbling baritone, and Jamey learned his craft performing with his father’s band, the Down Home Boys. From there he eventually joined the Marine Corps Reserves, an experience that delivered lifelong friendships, but it also left him with some emotional scars that have informed his songwriting. Last year, he channeled some of those memories into his first album in 14 years, called Midnight Gasoline, and these days he has plenty to celebrate. In 2025, he got married at a rock quarry in Tennessee—a story you’ll want to hear—celebrated his 50th birthday with a show at the Grand Ole Opry, and acted in an upcoming movie with Megan Moroney called A Grand Ole Opry Christmas. Sid talks to Jamey about his tribute to the Greatest Generation, the new song he just recorded with Ronnie Dunn, and the organization he and his wife started called the Give It Away Fund, which supports disaster relief and other important causes.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

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f you’re a Southerner who’s interested in food, you probably know John T. Edge from his work as the founding director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, as the author of the Potlikker Papers, or as the host of True South, a TV show about Southern food and culture on the SEC Network. It’s hard to find someone who’s been more influential in shaping the conversation around Southern food and telling the stories of its unsung heroes. Well, now John T. is telling his own story with a powerful new memoir called House of Smoke: A Southerner Goes Searching for Home. Sid talked to John T. about his complicated and sometimes violent childhood in Clinton, Georgia; his fraught relationship with a mother who struggled with alcoholism; and the wild journey that finally led him to a career at the University of Mississippi. A note: This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Southern Living offices in Birmingham, Alabama.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

Isaac Nunn - Recording Producer

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Josh Mancuso has been rooting for the Tennessee Vols since he could walk, but he’s also an actor, filmmaker, and director who knows how to tell a story. In 2020, with few prospects in the film business, he made a video on Instagram about an imaginary middle school coach who was taking over to the top job at Tennessee, and it went viral. After that, he started a series on the absurdity of college mascots, from the Delta State Fighting Okra to the TCU Horned Frogs, often playing multiple characters in the same video. Now Mancuso has almost 300,000 followers on Instagram, and he’s always got something new to say, especially in the middle of football season. Sid talks to Josh about his recent collaboration with country singer Walker Hayes, the hours of writing it can take to make a good video, and the high school coach who had a major impact on his life.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Sid talks to one of the biggest and brightest stars in country music – Lainey Wilson. Back in May, he drove up to Nashville and got to have this conversation in person at Lainey’s farmhouse outside of town. The occasion was a Southern Living cover shoot, and Lainey and Sid sat down on a pair of comfortable chairs in her speakeasy-style basement, which is where she writes a lot of her songs. Lainey couldn’t have been more welcoming as a host, even though she’d been touring nonstop for her latest album, Whirlwind. She’s also hosting the CMA Awards in mid-November, and she’s appearing in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel Reminders of Him early next year. But Lainey has clearly not forgotten her small-town roots in Baskin, Louisiana, or the importance of good friends, family, and her faith. She talked a lot about how she stays grounded, how she keeps holding on despite a wild few years in Nashville, and the importance of keeping her people close. She also told some funny stories about her fiance, Devlin Hodges, who goes by Duck, and how she and her family celebrate Thanksgiving.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

Isaac Nunn - Recording Producer

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Texas-born Chef Tiffany Derry is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the world of food TV. She was raised in Beaumont, Texas, though most of her family came from nearby Port Allen, Louisiana, which meant the culture of both states had a big influence on her. She had about 50 cousins, so she was used to huge family gatherings and potlucks where everyone had to pitch in. Her interest in food took a professional turn when she got a job working at the International House of Pancakes when she was just 15, and that’s where she got her first taste of how restaurants work. Now, after traveling the world and expanding her food horizons, Tiffany is running a small empire of restaurants, including Radici Wood Fired Grill, that combine her Southern heritage and her obsession with international flavors. She’s launched the Shef Food & Wine festival in Grand Prairie, Texas, which is focused on women in the culinary arts, and she’s also become a popular judge on Fox’s MasterChef. Sid talks to Tiffany about her legendary fried chicken recipe, the hardest part of judging young chefs in a cooking competition, and her upcoming role as a presenter at Southern Living’s Illumination Charleston.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marcus King grew up in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains in a working class family with deep roots in music. His grandfather played country and western music; his uncle played bass guitar in the church; and his father played country, rock and roll, blues, and even gospel. But Marcus had grander ambitions than others in his family. He felt that South Carolina didn’t get the respect it deserved when it came to music, and he set out to travel the world and make a statement about what was possible. Now he’s out with a new album called Darling Blue, his first with the Marcus King band since 2018, and their live performances have been described by some as an almost spiritual experience. Sid talks to Marcus about the song about meeting his wife, what it was like collaborating with Billy Strings and Lainey Wilson, and the annual music festival that bears his name.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices