James Villas has been obsessed with biscuits his entire life, ever since he was a small boy in North Carolina watching his mother and Aunt Toots bake buttermilk breakfast biscuits (and then getting to eat them!). Now that he's grown up, he has sampled hundreds of varieties from all over the country and baked countless batches himself, which makes him eminently qualified to present the very best recipes in Biscuit Bliss. Whether savory or sweet, biscuits are the quintessential American bread. Nowadays no bread is simpler, quicker, or more fun to make. Once the knack of turning them out is mastered, they're easy as can be. The chapters here cover all the bases. Plain raised biscuits, such as Cloud Biscuits and Buttermilk Biscuits, are the everyday classics that have been popular for two centuries. Flavored biscuits feature many regional favorites, including Maine Clam Biscuits and Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits. Drop biscuits, heartier in texture and freeform, include Cinnamon-Pecan Drop Biscuits and Parmesan-Herb Drop Biscuits. And biscuits get dressed up for cocktails or tea with fancier versions like Blue Cheese and Walnut Biscuits and Smoked Salmon and Dill Biscuits. There's even a chapter on what Villas calls ''the biscuit's cousin,'' the scone. Biscuit Bliss concludes with a chapter on heavenly ways to use biscuits and biscuit dough in main courses and desserts, including Drop Biscuit - Crusted Chicken and Vegetables and Spiced Peach Shortcake. And luscious color photographs will have everyone reaching for the butter.