Gwen McKee's interest in preserving "real" American food came naturally. Like most native Southerners, she was influenced by a family immersed in the traditions of Southern cooking and entertaining. Over a period of many years, Gwen collected recipes that were handed down through her family for traditional holidays and reunions.

She has dedicated decades to preserving America's food heritage. Through Quail Ridge Press, one of the most successful publishers of regional cookbooks, Gwen has accomplished much of this task by creating the 50-volume Best of the Best State Cookbook Series that includes over 20,000 classic recipes. This series has sold over 5 million copies and been featured on QVC.

Gwen McKee took another important step in reaching her goal by creating the Recipe Hall of Fame Collection. The Recipe Hall of Fame Cookbook, featuring 450 winning recipes from all the Best of the Best state books, was an instant hit, selling 65,000 copies within the first few months of publication. With over 700,000 copies in print, the collection now includes Recipe Hall of Fame Dessert Cookbook, Recipe Hall of Fame Quick & Easy Cookbook, and Recipe Hall of Fame Cookbook II in addition to the original Recipe Hall of Fame Cookbook.