Cookin' across America

By Staff
COOKBOOK SERIES – Gwen McKee, left, and Barbara Moseley are the authors of the "Best of the Best" state cookbook series that covers all 50 states. They recently published the final book of the series. Submitted Photo
By Penny Randall / staff writer
October 20, 2004
Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley's journey to compile favorite recipes from every state has finished but the two longtime friends aren't sadden by the end of their 22-year project.
In 1982, McKee and Moseley published a cookbook with recipes compiled from Mississippi cookbooks; they called it "Best of the Best from Mississippi." Recently they finished the last cookbook in the series "Best of the Best from Nevada."
The women did that by traveling to all 50 states.
McKee and her husband, Barney, are founders of Quail Ridge Press in Brandon. She has authored and edited more than 85 cookbooks.
She has made numerous appearances on QVC over the past seven years winning QVC's "Quest for America's Best" and selling out of the "Best of the Best from Mississippi" cookbook in two minutes.
The McKees live in Brandon in a home with a "big kitchen."
Moseley is co-editor of the "Best of the Best" state cookbook series and has been a part of the Quail Ridge Press family for more than 20 years. She has edited about 50 cookbooks.
Moseley and her husband, Lonnie, live in Florence. Her favorite foods include fresh vegetables, especially those out of her own garden.
McKee and Moseley met on the golf course and have been friends for almost 30 years.
It's hard for McKee and Moseley to pick their favorite recipe out of the 17,000 that have appeared in the cookbooks.
McKee and Moseley are currently working on the cookbook "Best of the Best from America" which will be introduced on QVC in February.
The book also will feature notes from McKee's travel diary.
What: "Best of the Best from Mississippi" (new edition)
Cost: $16.95
Publisher: Quail Ridge Press
How to order: www.bestofthebestcookbooks.com or call (800) 343-1583