Tupelo Honey book helps the Blue Ridge Parkway

When it's hot like this, it's nice to have an excuse to at least think about something cool: How about the misty blue beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway?

After the successful launch of its first cookbook last year, Asheville's popular restaurant Tupelo Honey is helping out the Blue Ridge Parkway with its second book. Tupelo has signed with Andrews McMeel Publishing to release a book in spring 2014 that will focus on the regional cooking traditions of the Mountain South, with a focus on the 469-mile parkway.

The Tupelo Blue Ridge book will include 125 recipes, full-color photography and historical and culinary tradition information. The writing and recipe team will be Elizabeth Sims and chef Brian Sonoskus, who produced the first Tupelo book.

Particularly nice: In the first year, the Tupelo Blue Ridge book will donate $2 from every book sold to Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which oversees volunteers and promotes stewardship of the road.

There's more news, as well. Tupelo Honey is planning to branch out from downtown Asheville with a new restaurant opening later this year in Knoxville and a third planned for somewhere in the vicinity of Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport, Tenn.

You reckon adding two more Tupelo Honeys will make it easier to get a Saturday morning table at the Asheville original? Nah, me neither.