MOULTRIE — Cotton and cooking may seem like an unlikely combination, but to the members of Georgia Cotton Women (GCW), it’s a winning combination. The group, based in Moultrie, has recently released their second cookbook, “Cooking in High Cotton.” The hard-back book with an internal lay-flat spiral binding features recipes from members from across the state as well as facts about the significance of cotton to Georgia for over 200 years.

“We had great success with our first cookbook,” said Nancy Coleman, president of GCW and editor of the cookbook, “but we wanted to reach a larger audience. This book is being marketed regionally by our publisher, Father & Son Publishing in Tallahassee, and is listed on amazon.com.”

The first book, “Georgia Cotton Heritage,” was published in 1997 and reprinted in 2000. It sold over 5,000 copies.

Jim Soos, owner of Books & More, said the second cookbook is outselling Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue” in his store.

In Southern vernacular, “in high cotton” means “doing very well; successful; a time of prosperity.” In years past, a farmer with a bumper crop was said to be “in high cotton.” With this book, experienced and novice cooks alike may also be “in high cotton” as they prepare over 400 “tried and true recipes” from some of the best cooks in Georgia, said Coleman. Recipes range from those passed down from generation to generation, to some of the trendiest recipes, using quick and easy techniques, she also said.

The book also includes anecdotes from members about the recipe, cooking hints, an index for each section, and a comprehensive index. In this 304-page volume, the reader will find chapters that include appetizers and beverages, breads, cakes and frostings, candies, cookies, desserts and pies, entrees, salads and dressings, soups and stews, vegetables and side dishes, and finally a chapter labeled everything else, which includes dips, marinades, jellies, sauces, pickles, relishes, and even a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich. This is sure to be your “go to” cookbook when you want something really special for your friends and family, said Coleman.

Artwork for the cookbook sections, as well as the cover, was provided by GCW member Cathy Thompson of Pinehurst, Ga. The cover has a blue background with a sketch of an open boll of cotton and a pink bloom.

While reading through the book’s many recipes, readers might find themselves pausing to read facts about cotton and its importance in the history and economy of Georgia and the world.

Georgia Cotton Women, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is currently celebrating its 20th year of serving Georgia’s cotton families with education, promotion and service. Georgia Cotton Women members “spread the cotton word” throughout the state by organizing and presenting fashion shows, and setting up exhibits at conventions, trade shows, festivals, the Georgia National Fair and the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo. GCW sponsors the “Sewing With Cotton” competition at the Georgia National Fair.

Members participate in mall promotions, present programs to school children, distribute teaching kits to schools and extension groups across the state, and speak at civic groups. Members appear on radio and television. They also produced a television commercial promoting cotton and featuring members and their families. The group is headquartered in Moultrie, one of the state’s leading cotton-producing counties, but members come from all across the state, from cotton producing counties large and small.

The organization presents two scholarships annually. Through the benevolence of the late John M. Mobley Sr., a producer/ginner from Colquitt County, and his family, Georgia Cotton Women annually awards the Mobley Scholarship to the son or daughter of a Georgia cotton producer. Through proceeds of this cookbook, a second scholarship is presented annually to a child of anyone involved in the cotton industry, with priority given to children of members.

The cookbooks retail for $19.95 and are currently on sale at Books & More, on the square, in downtown Moultrie; The Cotton Shop at the Moultrie Airport; the Colquitt County Farm Bureau office on the Sylvester Hwy.; and Adcock Pecans in Tifton, Ga. GCW members also have books for sale.

Members will be autographing the cookbooks at Books & More from 4 to 5:30 p.m., on the day of the Christmas parade, Saturday, Dec. 12, in downtown Moultrie.