Screen Doors and Sweet Tea

March 17, 2008
The warm, languid air of the South filters through this engaging book, in which Foose shares the traditional recipes that she ate while growing up on the Mississippi Delta and has returned to after training as a pastry chef in France and traveling the world. Gently humorous stories about family and friends form a seamless part of her instructions for community recipes like Strawberry Missionary Society Salad, as well as pleasant surprises like Tabbouleh, Curried Sweet Potato Soup, and Chinese Grocery Roast Pork that take Southern food beyond stereotypes. Fried chicken and grits do appear, but for such classics Foose emphasizes relatively simple, wholesome preparations that are rich without loading on more butter and oil than necessary. Although recipes for Gumbo Z’Herbs, Chile Lime Skirt Steak, and creamy succotash are mouthwatering enough just to read about, many cooks will be tempted to flip straight to the last chapters, where her enticing breads and pastries provide the book with a winning flourish. The cook may be Southern, but the appeal of the dishes she presents should reach well beyond people who grew up in the land of four-hour lunches and sweet tea savored on a porch swing.

Starred review from March 15, 2008
Foose, executive chef of the Viking Cooking School (as in Viking ranges), has also worked as a pastry chef, and she and her husband are the owners of Mockingbird Bakery in Greenwood, MS. A talented cook and baker, she is also an entertaining writer. Foose grew up in the Mississippi Delta and returned there five years ago after traveling and working in faraway places, and she has many stories to tell. Recipe subtitles provide a hint of the tales associated with the particular dishes: Midnight BrisketFeed the Band, for example, or Mailbox CocktailFold Down Door, Set Down Drink. Some of the recipes are for Southern classics, but even these have Foose's own personal stamp. Every recipe is accompanied by copious notes, including make-ahead info, suggestions for variations, and more. As much fun to read as it will be to cook from, this is highly recommended.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.