Aletia Dupree, former owner of famed Calhoun restaurant BJ’s, said she felt so sad at having to close the restaurant almost two years ago that it inspired her to writing “Deliciously Southern,” a cookbook of traditional, and new Southern cuisine.

“It started out as BJ’s recipes, but it turned into a delicious tour of the South,” said Dupree.

Dupree said she fell in love with Southern cooking as a child and wanted to share her passion with others.

“This is a gift to my community,” she said. Dupree admitted it was hard to close the restaurant after 21 years, but is thrilled at the new opportunity it presented her.

“I want to promote Calhoun and the South. I want people to be proud about being Southern,” she said.

The book includes 380 recipes from Texas, through the Appalachia and back to Georgia, a history of Southern foods and stories of growing up below the Mason-Dixon Line.

Because today’s cooks can be busy, Dupree said she has included menus for “all the traditional Southern occasions” including Sunday Dinner, easy one-dish meals, and other fares.

To promote her book, she’s signing copies and offering samples at the 1902 Stock Exchange, 124 Public Square in Adairsville Friday and Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

Her next even is a cooking and entertaining show at Cherokee Cycles in Calhoun on Aug. 12.

This event will feature how to entertain on a budget.

“Most of the items I use are from my home or can be purchased at Walmart. It’s about easy elegance and making homemade memories,” said Dupree.

Cost for that event is $7.