Anyone who is interested in good food has surely heard of Mississippi chef and author Robert St. John. And if you are interested in meeting the popular author, he will be in Vicksburg Dec. 8 to promote his latest book, “Dispatches from My South: Reflections and Recipes From a Southern Food Scribe” (Different Drummer Press, $24.95).

A native of Hattiesburg, St. John will be a guest at Lorelei Books, 1103 Washington St., to meet Vicksburg residents and sign copies of his new book, which includes chapters on his childhood, fatherhood, family life and the fun and chaos of the holiday. And you can follow the popular author as he travels over the South, eating his way through the best restaurants and the worst joints. The volume also includes writings, poems and essays, including some written in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. And St. John also includes his Top 40 recipes of all time as well as 20 new, soon-to-be favorites.

Among the old favorites are his Corn Crab Seafood Gumbo and Wild Mushroom Risotto. St. John also includes new favorites, including the Mississippi BBQ Shrimp, Blackened Shrimp Pie and Muz’s Fudge Cake.

For the last 20 years, St. John has served as executive chef, president, and CEO of the Purple Parrot Café, the Crescent City Grill, and the Mahogany Bar in Hattiesburg and Meridian. He is a nationally-known restaurateur, chef, food writer, author and one of the nation’s only food/humor columnists. He began self-syndicating his weekly newspaper column six years ago and quickly amassed a loyal and fanatical readership. The Lexington Herald-Leader calls him a “Jeff Foxworthy-style chef with an opinion on all things culinary.”

St. John actually explores the roots of Southern hospitality with witty essays and sophisticated recipes on National Public Radio. And the Mississippi food columnist and chef treats his subjects with “humor and a lot of down-home conversation.”  St.John has been featured on The Food Network, The Travel Channel, and the Turner South network. He has two television projects in development and is a creative force in the gourmet food business.

Honors and books

St. John, a self-taught cook, has been named the state’s top chef by Mississippi Magazine in 2006, 2007 and, 2008. And St. John’s Purple Parrot Café, named the state’s best fine dining restaurant in Mississippi, received a four-diamond rating for the AAA Travel Guide in 2008.

The bevy of books he has written include “A Southern Palate,” written with renowned watercolorist Wyatt Waters; “Nobody’s Poet,” an anthology of his food columns illustrated by two-time Pulitzer finalist Marshall Ramsey; “My South,” a collaborative effort with Rutledge Hill Press and the Turner South network; “Deep South Parties,” a collection of new and old Southern cocktail party favorites; “Southern Seasons,” a coffee-table cookbook and his second collaboration with watercolorist Wyatt Waters; and his “New South Grill” with Hyperion Books.