Nominated by Connie Bryans:

"My mother is a great Georgia cook who shares her talent and hospitality with many. She has lived all her life in the country outside Madison. Growing up, we helped her raise all her vegetables, harvest them, can and freeze them and prepare them for the family and the workers on the farm.

"Now she only cooks the big meals on Friday at noon. Her Friday dinners are legendary. All the folks associated with the family or farm try to be close by on Fridays. That is her day to cook, and anyone lucky enough to be there is welcome.

"When I was growing up, whenever you walked into the kitchen, it seemed she was cooking something to take somewhere -- church, the home of someone sick or bereaved, the firemen's fund-raiser -- always something for someone else. My mother exemplifies Southern hospitality and serves up good Southern cooking to go with it."

For folks in the know around the little town of Newborn, outside Madison, Friday is the day to make an excuse to visit the Bryans farm. For decades, Madelyn Bryans has set out a welcoming Southern table for farm workers, family or anyone within shouting distance of the farm that she and her husband, Norris, have run for 51 years.

Family/background: "I grew up in Jasper County. I was from a big family; there were nine of us. We lived on a farm right outside Monticello. I've been married for 51 years. We have three children, two girls and a boy. Our son, Carey, lives close by and works the farm with us. We have two daughters, Donna and Connie, and four grandchildren, Claire, Mandi, Chase and Will."

Career: "We have been living here on this farm in the same house all my married life, which will be 51 years in July. My husband and son raise replacement Holstein cows for dairies."

Hobbies, interests: "I have a lot of hobbies. I sew. I started sewing when I was 13. I'm a quilter. I do crafts. And the garden. It's not as big as it used to be, and I don't get out there as much as I used to. We can't get along in the garden, so I pretty much let my husband do most of it. When I go out there with Norris, we both have different ideas. So now he does most of it."

Culinary roots: "Country Southern. Mostly vegetables. We are vegetable people."

Cooking style: "I'm not a fancy cook. I cook basic country food. I've always lived in the country and always cooked from the garden. When my kids were growing up, they didn't have any time to get in trouble. We would put up 50 quarts of every kind of vegetable you can think of. That's a lot of work. We would have an assembly line. When we did corn, one kid would shuck, one would cut the end off. We put up enough to last all winter. Even now, my kids are used to garden vegetables. My daughter Donna found out I had put store-bought frozen corn on the table, and she wouldn't eat it. But it was that corn-in-a-tube, and I recommend it. It's really good."

Who taught you to cook? "Well, I took home economics when I was in school, but I pretty much taught myself. My mother was a good country cook, so I guess I got some of it from her. I started cooking when I was 12 or 13, when my mother got sick."

How did your love of cooking develop? "I've always cooked for my family. It was just something you did. My children never went to school without a cooked breakfast."

Who do you cook for? "I don't cook as much as I used to, but I still cook for whoever is here. And I still cook a big meal on Fridays for farm employees and whoever is around. If there is a holiday or birthday, I'll always cook."

Early food memory: "I remember cooking peas and corn when my mother was in bed. And I remember my mother making biscuits."

What is the most enjoyable aspect of cooking? "I like to cook. I like to feed people, and I like people to enjoy the food. I like it when my children will help me plan a meal. One of the meals they like is black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes, chicken, creamed potatoes, a salad and peach cobbler."

Culinary achievements: "I did the catering for my daughter's wedding. That was a pretty good accomplishment. We had maybe 150 people. Of course I had some help, but I was pretty much tired by the wedding."

Culinary ambitions: "I'm pretty much content with the way things are. I'd like to just keep things going like this, and it would be fine."

What is your favorite thing to cook? "I love to cook fresh vegetables. Fresh tomatoes, fresh cabbage, squash. They are so good! I've always cooked with a pressure cooker. Now I have a little Presto pressure cooker, which is perfect for butterbeans and beans with potatoes. After I take the pressure off, I let them cook down. My daughter likes her beans a little crunchy, but Southern people will know what I'm saying when I say 'cook them down.' That's the way we like them."

Culinary pet peeve: "I don't like people in the kitchen when I'm cooking. I don't want them picking over the food before it gets to the table. My daddy and my mother almost got in a fight about that. My daddy was bad about picking at the food while it was being cooked."

Memorable flop: "Oh, I've burned a few things."

Do you favor a particular ingredient? "I like nutmeg. It goes well with sweet potatoes, which are my absolute favorite vegetable."

Favorite cookbook: "The books that I use mostly are a set of old country recipes from the Progressive Farmer series. I have a whole set of them."

What's the magic ingredient that makes some cooks turn out great food? "Cooking is not for everybody. Like anything else, you just have to like it. A lot of people say they can't cook, but that's just an excuse because they really don't like to. If you don't like to cook, find another talent. My daughter Connie doesn't mind telling you she is not a cook. It's a good thing she isn't, because if she was, her husband wouldn't be able to fit through the door. He loves to eat!"

-- Betty Parham

SIDE DISH

Cheese Squash Casserole

Makes 5 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

"This is a good time for fresh squash. I take this casserole to church a lot, and people always seem to enjoy it."

If you like, you can sprinkle a few more cracker crumbs when adding the cheese.

5 medium yellow crookneck squash, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped onion

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 4-ounce jar diced pimentos, drained

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup soda cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Boil the squash until just tender. Drain. In a bowl, combine squash, onion, eggs, butter, salt, pimentos, milk and crumbs. Pour into a greased 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Dot with butter and cover with cheese and cook for 10 more minutes.

Per serving: 346 calories (percent of calories from fat, 70), 12 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 27 grams fat, 118 milligrams cholesterol, 609 milligrams sodium.

Who are the best cooks? We're looking for Georgia home cooks who deserve recognition for their talents and who have interesting recipes to share. Fax at 404-526-5509, e-mail kitchen@ajc.com or write to Betty Parham, Food Department, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. Give us your name and phone number, as well as the name and number of the cook you'd like us to consider. And tell us a little about what makes this cook special.