Emily Ann Roberts Is One Part Yeehaw, One Part Meemaw
Emily Ann Roberts grew up in Karns, Tennessee, just outside of Knoxville, with hardworking parents who had deep roots in both faith and music. She went to the church her great-grandfather founded more than a century ago— the same place where she sang in public for the very first time. Her dad introduced her to the rougher side of music, too, playing a lot of Johnny Cash and David Allan Coe as they drove around backroads in a pickup truck. After performing for years in a Mexican restaurant and then being discovered on YouTube, she went on to become a finalist on The Voice, but she soon discovered there was plenty more work to do. These days, she’s making her mark as a fresh new voice in country music, releasing gritty new songs like “Scratching Out a Living,” and touring with Megan Moroney. Sid talks to Emily about her love of Southern cooking, her alter ego Yeehaw Memaw, and the advice from Blake Shelton that’s guided her every step of the way.
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54:28
Maggie Rose Should Not Be Underestimated
Maggie Rose was born and raised in Potomac, Maryland, where she grew up eating blue crabs, attending Catholic school, and singing solos in front of her church’s congregation. A self-described black sheep of the family, she headed to Clemson University in South Carolina before leaving school early to move to Nashville for a career in music. But it was her family’s support that gave her the courage to make it in a very tough business, and it eventually paid off in a career that’s earned her a Grammy nomination, a loyal fan base, and more than 100 appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. Her podcast, Salute the Songbird, started during the pandemic, and it’s become a powerful vehicle for candid conversations with other female musicians about their experiences and challenges in the music business. Sid talks to Maggie about what it’s like being a new mom, her Grammy-nominated album, No One Gets Out Alive, what it meant to perform recently in Asheville, North Carolina, and her longtime love for Old Bay Seasoning.
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49:37
Chef Duane Nutter Is Proof That Chefs Can Be Funny
Duane Nutter spent his first seven years or so in Morgan City, Louisiana, but his mother later moved the family to Seattle in search of schools that could help with his dyslexia. Their new home exposed Duane to a world of international flavors, but his mother never lost her love for Southern food, even going so far as to ship in certain spices and ingredients like andouille sausage at a time when that wasn’t easy to do. As a result, Duane developed a taste for cooking that straddled different worlds. After some stints in a few Seattle restaurants, he eventually moved to Atlanta to work with the legendary Chef Darryl Evans at the Four Seasons Hotel, and he then accepted a position as Executive Chef at One Flew South, an oasis of quality dining for travelers passing through the Atlanta Airport. His latest restaurant, Southern National, was recognized by Yelp! in 2024 as one of the best new restaurants in the South, and now he’s got a new cookbook called Cutting Up in the Kitchen. Sid talks to Duane about his double life as a comedian, what it was like serving Maya Angelou, and why it took so long to get his citrus pound cake just exactly right.
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40:07
Wyatt Flores’s Red Dirt Roots
Wyatt Flores is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter from Stillwater, Oklahoma, who’s making a name for himself in the Red Dirt music scene, building on the musical legacy of his home state. He grew up on a ranch in a working-class family where he was surrounded by musicians, often hearing them play cowboy songs around a campfire. His father, a drummer, built him a stage in the backyard when he recognized his talent, and his Uncle Bobby taught him how to play guitar. Now Wyatt is playing in front of thousands of fans, singing at the Grand Ole Opry, and writing songs that are winning audiences with their honesty, heart, and vulnerability. His debut album, Welcome to the Plains, explores the rough—and sometimes violent—side of growing up in rural Oklahoma, but it also shows a talent for storytelling and a wry sense of humor. Sid talks to Wyatt about why he’s so happy to be back in Stillwater after a couple of years in Nashville, the mental health struggles he’s openly shared with his fans, the family member he wants to have on his podcast, and why his favorite food is a breakfast burrito.
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43:43
Encore: Jessica B. Harris Believes in a Welcome Table
Episode Description: Jessica B. Harris may have been born and raised in New York City, but she has Tennessee roots through her father and has spent much of her life split between homes in the Northeast and the South – specifically New Orleans. For more than fifty years, she has been a college professor, a writer, and a lecturer, and her many books have earned her a reputation as an authority on food of the African Diaspora, as well as a lifetime achievement award from the James Beard Foundation. A few years back, Netflix adapted her book, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America, into a 4 part docuseries. And I’m very proud to say that she’s a longtime contributor to Southern Living with a regular column called The Welcome Table. This episode was recorded in the Southern Living Birmingham studios, and Sid and Jessica talked about her mother’s signature mac and cheese, the cast-iron skillet she’d be sure to save if ever her house were on fire, and her dear friend, the late New Orleans chef Leah Chase.
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/Producer
Jeremiah McVay - Producer
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In the South, food and music go hand in hand. They define much of what we think of as Southern culture, and they say a lot about our past, our present, and our future. Each week, Sid Evans, Editor in Chief of Southern Living, sits down with musicians, chefs, and other Southern icons to hear the stories of how they grew up, what inspires them, and why they feel connected to the region. Through honest conversations, Sid explores childhood memories, the family meals they still think about, and the intersection of food and music in their lives. Always surprising, always engaging, Biscuits & Jam is a celebration of the South—and the people who are moving it forward every day. New episodes every Tuesday.
USA