[.ca] True Grits: Tall Tales and Recipes from the New South (ISBN 0871974258)

Five's not enough -- make it 10 stars.:
Jr. League cookbooks have come a long way since the first little spiral-bound paper products of some 40 or 50 years ago. I don't know if the Atlanta Jr. League was the first to come up with the cookbook moneymaker project, but I do know their cookbooks have been much respected over the years -- venerated, even. In this one, though, they've outdone themselves. Even if the recipes were awful (and they're not), there's still enough entertainment in this book to make it worthy of the price. And that's not counting the gorgeous illustrations that place it firmly in coffeetable display status. It's the stories by famous Georgia writers that kick this volume into the stratosphere of pleasure. Ferrol Sams's double-take as he watches Katie Couric brave a glass of horse's milk on the Today Show, for example, is bound to split a stitch or two. Then there's the late Lewis Grizzard on his prowess at the grill. "I come from a long line of outdoor grillers," he says, "My Uncle Jerome still holds the American record for consecutive days grilling out, 178." Reconstructed Yankee Bill Diehl holds forth on how he came to love the South. He quotes his mentor, Ralph Gill of the Atlanta Constitution, "We must work to make a better North, South, West or New England, because in so doing we make a better America." The inimitable Anne Rivers Siddons holds forth on the difficulties of finding a bowl of real Southern grits while on book tour in the great Fly-Over Land. Stuart Woods, Eugenia Price, and Valerie Richards Jackson are just a few of the star-studded literary lights who shine in these pages. What a great idea to showcase Georgia's finest literary talents along with its best culinary talents! I'll vouch for the recipes, too. I've been married to a full-fledged (and also reconstructed) Yankee for more years that you can count on all the digits of several people and when his side of the family came to visit recently, of course they expected Southern food from the only bona-fide Southerner in the family. So I served Crème Fraiche Biscuits with Chevre and Country Ham Butter, Spicy Grits Casserole and German Pancake with Peach Compote when they converged on me for a reunion brunch. They loved the food, asked for recipes and when I showed them the cookbook, they enthused over that, too! Every recipe I've tried from TRUE GRITS has been delicious and has garnered raves from my family and friends. Therefore, I can unequivocally give it the highest recommendation from a cook's point of view as well as from one who values -- indeed, treasures -- a good read.

A culinary wealth of delicious home-style cooking:
Compiled by members of The Junior League Of Atlanta, True Grits: Tall Tales And Recipes From The New South presents a culinary wealth of delicious home-style cooking ranging from traditional faire such as Fried Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits, to original, mouth-watering offerings such as Pan-Seared Crab Cakes with Lemon Linguini; Kiwifruit Frozen Yogurt; Peanut Butter Chocolate Drops; and more. Helpful hints and enjoyable anecdotal tales in the margins add a friendly and enjoyable touch to this excellent and savory recipe guide.