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Mississippi State University Scholars Junction University Libraries Publications and Scholarship University Libraries 1-1-2017 Mississippi Cooks: Building a Culinary Collection Deborah Lee Mississippi State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/ul-publications Recommended Citation Mississippi Libraries, v. 80 no. 2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University Libraries at Scholars Junction. It has been accepted for inclusion in University Libraries Publications and Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Scholars Junction. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 80 No. 2 • Summer 2017 Page 22 Mississippi Cooks Building A Culinary Collection Deborah Lee to explore Mississippi customs and Tea: Recipes and Tales from a South- Professor and Coordinator, traditions. ern Cook (Clarkson Potter, 2008; Graduate Student Services No collection of Mississippi cook- ISBN: 978-0307351401). Mississippi State University Libraries books would be complete without The text reads like a good con- When I first visited the state of at least one title from Martha Hall versation from homecoming: lots of Mississippi twenty six years ago, the Foose. Born in Mississippi, Foose good recipes interspersed with com- food was one of the first things I no- is a noted food writer and served munity gossip and culinary wisdom. ticed. Every restaurant table had a as the food stylist for the movie The For example, her “Sold My Soul to bottle of pepper sauce, the portion Help. Foose gained national atten- the Devil-ed Eggs” (pg. 18) includes sizes were generous, and the food tion when she won the James Beard useful information on avoiding was almost always excellent! With Award for Screen Doors and Sweet the green ring that sometimes ap- the bounty of culinary expertise in pears in boiled eggs. Foose followed the state, it was surprising how few this up with another cookbook, A books produced by national pub- Southerly Course: Recipes and Sto- lishers focused on Mississippi cook- ries From Close to Home in 2011 ing. Luckily, the last decade has seen (Clarkson Potter, 2011; ISBN: 978- a renewed interest in regional cook- 0307464286.) This collection of rec- ing and Mississippi authors are be- ipes is peppered with family stories ginning to take their rightful place and reflections on southern cooking in the national spotlight. along with extensive illustrations. This creates an opportunity to Southern cooking is in the na- build a culinary collection with a tional spotlight and this was cer- focus on Mississippi cooking. While tainly assisted by Whitney Miller community and church cookbooks winning the first MasterChef com- can be a significant component of petition. Her book, Modern Hospi- both a culinary and a genealogical tality: Simple Recipes with Southern collection, the focus of this column Charm (Rodale Books, 2011; ISBN: is on commercially produced cook- 978-1609613525) is another good books. All are available either as addition to a Mississippi cookbook currently in-print titles or through collection. The collection of recipes the out-of-print market. is somewhat small (75) but richly While some of the titles that fol- illustrated and also includes numer- low focus more generally on south- ous suggestions for hosting events ern or Mississippi cooking, many and setting a welcoming table. Rec- reflect the regional diversity that ipes such as “Collard Green Dip” can be found throughout the state. (pg. 21) highlight local ingredients A swift perusal of the titles shows that are presented in new and in- a common thread throughout this novative ways. Miller published type of cookbook: the mixing of a “sequel” with her 2015 Whitney stories, local histories, and cooking. Miller’s New Southern Table: My Fa- This makes the collection attractive vorite Family Recipes with a Modern not just to cooks but anyone looking Twist (Thomas Nelson 2015; ISBN: Mississippi Libraries Vol. 80 No. 2 • Summer 2017 Page 23 978-0718011604). This collection is a good story to go along with their One Hundred Years of Cooking in also richly illustrated and is a more fried chicken, fried corn, and bis- a Black Family (Clarkson Potter, traditional collection of recipes cuits will find the collection of use. 2015; ISBN: 978-0804137935) in- themed around key meals: Sunday No collection of Southern cook- terpret traditional soul food but dinners or family get-togethers. books is complete without a section with a decidedly healthy spin. They Dinners such as “Spice-Rubbed on soul food. While Bryant Terry is draw upon their own family’s culi- Venison Roast” (pg. 185) nicely il- not a Mississippian, his use of ingre- nary history and health challeng- lustrate traditional Southern ingre- dients and modern interpretations es to produce such new classics as dients with a newer, often spicier, of traditional foods will delight au- “Sweet Potato, Kale, and Black-eyed interpretation. diences looking for alternatives to Pea Soup” (pg. 138). As with many While not technically a Missis- more traditional Southern cuisine. other titles in this genre, the recipes sippi cookbook, Faye Porter’s At My His widely recognized Vegan Soul are richly interspersed with family Grandmother’s Table: Heartwarming Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy and Creative culinary history and food lore. Stories & Cherished Recipes from the African-American Cuisine (Da Capo Southern literary works are South (Thomas Nelson, 2013) is a Press, 2009; ISBN: 978-0738212289) known for their sense of place; true representation of Mississippi combined vegan cooking with in- southern cookbooks likewise cele- and Southern cooking. No “nuevo” gredients often found in Southern brate place as part of the Southern Southern cuisine here, just stick to kitchens. His “Citrus Collards with culinary legacy. One great example your ribs biscuits, giblet gravy, and Raisins Redux” (pg. 4) served as the is Alexe Van Beuren’s The B.T.C. fried chicken! The author solicited inspiration for the rest of the vol- Old-Fashioned Grocery Cookbook: recipes and stories from throughout ume. And while his “Open-faced Recipes and Stories from a South- the South and asked contributors Tempeh Sandwich with Carrot-Cay- ern Revival (Clarkson Potter, 2014; to remember the culinary contri- enne Coleslaw” (pg. 12-13) will not ISBN: 978-0385345002). Van butions from their grandmother. win a barbecue cook off, it offers Beuren teams up with local cook Although the collection is heavily those looking for alternatives to Dixie Grimes to present both a col- weighted toward Tennessee, there pork or meat based meals an option lection of recipes and the story of are ten recipes with a direct Mis- that incorporates many of the origi- the development of a small business sissippi connection. Like any good nal flavors of Southern cooking. in Water Valley, Mississippi. Tradi- Southern cookbook, over one third Likewise, Alice Randall and Car- tional recipes like “Red-eye Gravy” of the content is devoted to some oline Randall Williams’ Soul Food (pg. 22) and new interpretations of type of sweets. Anyone looking for Love: Healthy Recipes Inspired by local ingredients such as those in Mississippi Libraries Vol. 80 No. 2 • Summer 2017 Page 24 “Roasted Pear and Zucchini Soup” about cooking. Of course, the 2016 title is not strictly a Mississippi (pg. 48-49) make this a useful addi- work focuses on breakfast foods cookbook: The Southerner’s Cook- tion to any collection. such as “Grits and Collards Souf- book: Recipes, Wisdom, and Sto- John Currance also builds a flé” (pg. 155), proving that all good ries by David DiBenedetto, Phillip strong sense of place into his work. Southern cookbooks include at least Rhodes and the editors of Garden The award winning chef runs a one recipe using collards even when and Gun Magazine (Harper Wave, number of restaurants in Oxford, discussing breakfast! 2015; ISBN: 978-0062242419). The Mississippi, and published his first A more traditional collection can richly illustrated recipes focus on cookbook, Pickles, Pigs, & Whiskey: be found in John T. Edge and Ellen “Southern foodways” and include Recipes from My Three Favorite Food Rolfes’ A Gracious Plenty: Recipes such basic staples as “Pimento Groups (Andrews McNeel Publish- and Recollections from the American Cheese” (pg. 13 but be warned: they ing, 2013, ISBN: 978-1449428808) South (Putnam, 1999; ISBN: 978- use Duke’s mayonnaise!) and fun in 2013. In addition to having quite 0399145346). Edge and Rolfes have exercises such as making your own possibility the best cookbook title strong Mississippi ties, with John T. moon pies with their “Mardi Gras ever, the eclectic collection provides Edge serving as the director of the Moon Pies” (pg. 194). The collection both innovative recipes and an in- Southern Foodways Alliance, an in- is augmented by entertaining culi- troduction to Currance’s philosophy stitute of the Center for the Study nary essays by notable Southerners, of cooking. This is not traditional of Southern Culture at the Uni- including Rick Brag’s “Your First Southern fare, but recipes such as versity of Mississippi. Many of the Oyster” (pg. 101-102) and John T. “Bourbon-Braised Pork Cheek” (pg. recipes are drawn from other pub- Edge’s “Condiments” (pg. 227-228). 186) will challenge Southern cooks lished sources, including communi- Culinary collections can serve as to try both new ingredients and new ty cookbooks. Many of the recipes, the focus of library programming techniques. Inspired by his restau- such as “Fried Okra” (pg. 95) are and community outreach. They fill a rant of the same name, Currance very traditional fare but some are need in our collections to document followed up his success with his first a little more unusual like the “Cas- past and current food traditions and cookbook with his second, Big Bad serole of Possum” (pg.

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