Deep South Staples: or How to Survive in a Southern Kitchen Without a Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

by Robert St. John

A lively cookbook for Southerners who wish to recapture the tastes, smells, and memories of their youth -- and for fans of Southern cooking everywhere Food in the South is a religion. Yet the problem with a lot of Southern cooking is the ever-present can of cream of mushroom soup. In this lively, humorous cookbook, Robert St. John shows Southerners (and all fans of the cuisine) how to indulge in the ideas and tastes that inspired Southern cooking, without resorting to ingredients like that canned soup in the recipe. The classic dishes are all here; they just taste better! Sections include cocktail party fare, funeral food, breakfasts, salads and soups, summer suppers, cakes, vegetables, chitlins, desserts, sides, and much more. Recipes include Buttermilk Chicken, Pecan Crusted Redfish, Fried Catfish, Cajun Popcorn, Corn Fritters, and lots of other Southern classics.

Genres: Cookbooks, Southern, Cooking, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2003

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!

[Cortney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is this a fabulous cookbook of southern staples - Robert St. John also includes memories of his days in the kitchen with his wife, mother, grandma, etc. His recollections are so endearing and funny...really makes for a fabulous cookbook that you can really truly read! Just take this quote, "The first time I ate my wife's scrambled eggs was during the first breakfast she ever cooked for me. It was early in our marriage and the eggs arrived at the table tinted in an unusual blue-green hue. I thought the odd color might be coming from a renegade ray of light beaming through the breakfast room window, reflecting off the wallpaper and onto my plate. No such luck. The eggs were green."

Also has some great vintage photos and cooking tips.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hattiesburg, MS chef of three award-winning restaurants tackles for down-home Southern favorites (Fried Chicken, Deviled Eggs, Biscuits, etc) as well as more generally American favorites (Meatloaf, Pot Roast, Salad Dressings). Well laid-out and concise, great for a beginning cook or an experienced cook who wants a reliable recipe.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cornbread recipe so good that it breaks hearts.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for the anecdotes that go with each recipe, not the recipes themselves.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should really be a comedy book I laughed so hard I cried. As did my mother in law husband......

[Aramie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is comprised of the funny recollections of the author's southern upbringing with a sprinkling of southern comfort food recipes before each chapter. Sigh....I miss Georgia.