Joy Thompson, 40 (Thomasville, N.C.), Amid owning a restaurant and bakery, and wrangling her five children, Joy has a lot going on. She draws inspiration from her childhood and manages to maintain a self-deprecating wit through all the chaos, creating upscale Southern food that looks good but also satisfies, such as fried green tomatoes and chicken and waffles. Joy is ready to teach accessible Southern cooking without any of the stuffiness.