Maybe we've been brainwashed by 130 years of Yankee history but Southern identity now has more to do with food accents manners music than the Confederate past. It's something that's open to both races a variety of ethnic groups and people who move here.

When I was growing up in Mississippi - it was good Southern food... but I also grew up with a Greek family when other kids were eating fried okra we were eating steamed artichokes. So I think it played a big part in my healthy cooking.

Of course I will continue to share my favorite Southern recipes just like my mama grandmother and family shared with me over the years. And now I'll be adding a little bit of a lighter touch to some of these wonderful dishes.

My dad like many Southern men is this very emotionally expressive person who isn't as articulate in words about his feelings as he is with breaking a chair or something like that.

I've got high standards when it comes to boys. As my dad says all girls should! I'm from the South - Tennessee to be exact - and down there we're all about southern hospitality. I know that if I like a guy he better be nice and above all my dad has to approve of him!

You know Southerners are pretty cool.

Well it's a little harder in New York. It's not as forgiving to a film crew. You hold up a bunch of New Yorkers who can't cross the street they're not going to take it well. Southern California? They'll wait. It's cool man. In New York they're like 'Are you kidding me? I gotta get to work.'

Big Star invented a vision of bohemian rock & roll cool that had nothing to do with New York Los Angeles or London which made them completely out of style in the 1970s but also made them an inspiration to generations of weird Southern kids.

I think there's a suspicion in the South of people putting on airs. You see it in most successful Southern politicians but you also see it in someone like Richard Petty who may be a multimillionaire stock car driver but he's also beloved because he has a nice self-deprecatory way about him.

Family trips to Yellowstone and to what are now national parks in Southern Utah driving the primitive roads and cars of that day were real adventures.

I separated from the Southern Baptists when they adopted the discriminatory attitude towards women because I believe what Paul taught in Galatians that there is no distinction in God's eyes between men and women slaves and masters Jews and non-Jews - everybody is created equally in the eyes of God.

Southern California they have been amazing. They're totally with us.

My mom the fabulous Bertie Kinsey is an amazing seamstress. She quilts and sews and is so crafty. We call her the Southern Martha Stewart!

Most of the southern hemisphere is unexplored. We had more exploration ships down there during Captain Cook's time than now. It's amazing.

It's a melting pot southern Africa. You find these cultural collisions that result in art and music and it's pretty amazing.