Culinary roots: Born in Augusta, grew up in Montezuma. Comes from a long line of great Southern cooks. Apprenticed for Nathalie Dupree's PBS cooking show, worked at LaVarenne cooking school in Burgundy, France; produced several cooking shows for TBS, including "Home Plate" with Marvin Woods, with whom she co-wrote a cookbook.

Career highlights: Her first solo cookbook, "Bon Appétit, Y'all: Three Generations of Southern Cooking," is scheduled for release by Ten Speed Press in spring 2008.

Louie Favorite/Staff (ENLARGE)

/'The first time we cooked venison at culinary school, my chef told me to cook it rare,/' Willis says.

Family (ENLARGE)

Virginia Willis learned her way around the kitchen early.

RELATED Anne Quatrano Co-chef/owner of Bacchanalia, Quinones, Star Provisions and Floataway Cafe in Atlanta  Before they were chefs...six Atlanta cooking pros  Sonya Jones - Chef/owner, Sweet Auburn Bread Co.  Scott Peacock Executive chef at Watershed in Decatur  Virginia Willis Atlanta cookbook author and cooking instructor  Linton Hopkins Chef/owner of Restaurant Eugene in Buckhead  Dave Roberts Chef at Sam & Dave's BBQ1 and BBQ2 in Marietta

Favorite childhood dish: Country-fried steak.

The story: "Country fried steak, sometimes called 'chicken fried steak,' has been a regular family meal my entire life. We often had beef, in which the steaks were cut from the round, which is part of the hind leg. Since it is from the leg, the cut gets a lot of exercise and is therefore very flavorful, but very tough. It's necessary to use the jagged side of the meat pounder to tenderize the meat.

"More often than not, Mama made country fried steak out of venison, or deer meat. We've always had deer meat in the freezer, a gift from my uncle or a kind neighbor. She would marinate the full-flavored meat in red wine to tenderize it.

"The first time we cooked venison at culinary school, my chef told me to cook it rare. I was astonished. Rare deer meat? Well, it was a revelation. The meat has so much more flavor than being cooked to gray and tasteless. Now, when Mama cooks country fried venison steak, she always cooks it rare."

How she adapted it: "I now add a bit of Dijon mustard and herbs to really bring out the flavor, and Japanese bread crumbs for a crispier coating. If I don't have venison on hand, I often use rib-eye, a very tender cut of beef and a huge hit in my cooking classes — and when I go home to visit Mama. It is a good example of taking something typically very Southern and using French cooking techniques to make it more refined."

Virginia Willis' Country Fried Steak

4 to 6 servings

Hands on: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

1 1/2 pounds venison, cut into 1/4-inch-thick serving-size portions, or 4 (6-ounce) rib-eye steaks, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup all-purpose flour, divided

1 cup fresh bread crumbs, or panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

Season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Combine the mustard and thyme in a shallow bowl. Brush the mustard to coat both sides of the meat. Place 1/2 cup of the flour in a shallow bowl. Combine the bread crumbs and remaining 1/2 cup flour in a second shallow bowl. Season both with salt and pepper. Place eggs in a third shallow bowl or pie plate and whisk lightly. Dip the meat in the flour, shaking off excess, then in the eggs, allowing the excess to drip off. Then dip the meat into the bread-crumb mixture, patting on both sides to coat.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-duty skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Add the meat without crowding and cook until dark brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn the meat and cook on the other side an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining meat and serve immediately.

Per serving (based on 4): 444 calories (percent of calories from fat, 36), 45 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 17 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 215 milligrams cholesterol, 303 milligrams sodium.

— Susan Puckett