Thursday, June 16, 2011

New Crush

I have a new crush in the world of cooking. And she is a older woman from the Mississippi Delta. I've only met her once but in between her offering me booze and giving me tips on pimento cheese, I fell in love. I am talking of course about Martha Foose. Her two cookbooks, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea and A Southerly Course, are simple, intelligent cookbooks that should be on everyone's shelf.

I particularly like the stories that accompany each recipe. Rather than just focusing on herself, these stories share a part of her culture and a sense of place from where the recipe developed or as is most often the case was passed down. You will read about people with names like Redbone or learn how to socially wait for the mailman. The recipes themselves range from the easy, yet sublime Bacon Crackers (ingredients: bacon and crackers) to homey cornbread, deviled eggs, roast duck, and of course that pimento cheese.


Recently, I used her basic deviled egg recipe and sexed it up with the addition of bacon marmalade, a bacon chip, and a thin slice of jalapeno. Although Ms. Foose wasn't there to comment on the dish, I have a feeling my love may have been reciprocated.

4 comments:

Meghan said...

You should bring her some of your eggs when she comes to town next week.

Elizabeth said...

She has a book singing at the Ogden Museum next Thursday:

Booksigning: A Southerly Course: Recipes and Stories from Close to Home by Martha Hall Foose
June 23, 2011
6 pm - 8 pm (During Ogden After Hours featuring Rotary Downs – acoustic show)

Rene said...

And a showcase at SOFAB on Saturday June 25th. Currently loading in In Your Eyes onto iPad...

CoastingThroughTheSouth said...

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea is on my shelf, but I'll need to pick up the other.