A Good Meal Is Hard to Find: Storied Recipes from the Deep South

by Amy C. Evans, Martha Hall Foose

A Good Meal Is Hard to Find is more than just a cookbook: it's a love letter to the women and food of the Deep South.

With charming narratives, visual storytelling, and delectable recipes, A Good Meal Is Hard to Find is everything you've ever wanted in a Southern cookbook.

Inside are 60 go-to recipes organized into five chapters—Morning's Glories, Lingering Lunches, Dinner Dates & Late-Night Takes, Afternoon Pick-Me-Ups, and Anytime Sweets. Recipes written by award-winning cookbook author and Southern food expert Martha Hall Foose, as part of a collaboration with Amy C. Evans.

• Each of the 60 recipes opens with a short vignette about a story about a unique Southern character.
• Divided into five chapters from breakfast to dinner, with cocktails and desserts in between
• Recipes paired with gorgeous, vintage-inspired acrylic paintings by Amy C. Evans

Inspired by generations of storytelling and Southern comfort food, this genre-bending cookbook is a must-have for cookbook lovers, vintage collectors, and Southern cooking enthusiasts alike.

Recipes include Francine's Strawberry-Glazed Doughnuts, Camille's Bridge Club Egg Salad, The Suzy B's Spinach and Mushroom Frito Pie, Stella's Harissa Gold Chicken, and Estelle's Butterscotch Pound Cake.

• Master the art of traditional Southern cooking and soul food.
• Perfect for fans of Poole's: Recipes and Stores from a Modern Diner by Ashley Christensen, Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines, and Heritage by Sean Brock
• A great cookbook gift for readers of Southern Living and Garden & Gun

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

Published April 28, 2020

About the author

Amy C. Evans is an artist, writer, and storyteller. She spent more than a decade documenting Southern food culture through oral history fieldwork, and her paintings continue to be a reflection of her explorations of the South. Amy's writing has appeared in a variety of publications from Saveur magazine to The Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. She makes her home with her daughter in Houston, Texas. Amy's favorite pie is sweet potato.

* * *

ESSAYS & IMAGES ALSO APPEAR IN:

EDNA LEWIS: AT THE TABLE WITH AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL by Sara B. Franklin, 2019. (Illustration)

THE MISSISSIPPI ENCYCLOPEDIA edited by Ted Ownby, Charles Reagan Wilson, Ann J. Abadie, Odie Lindsey & James G. Thomas Jr., 2017.(Photographs)

SAINTS OF OLD FLORIDA by Melissa Farrell, Emily Raffield & Christina McDermott, 2016. (Foreword & Illustration)

CORNBREAD NATION 5: THE BEST OF SOUTHERN FOOD WRITING, edited by Fred W. Sauceman, 2010. (Essay)

FAULKNER AND LOVE: THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED HIS ART, A BIOGRAPHY by Judith L. Sensibar, 2010. (Photographs)

SOUTHERN FOODWAYS ALLIANCE COMMUNITY COOKBOOK, edited by John T. Edge & Sara Roahen, 2010. (Recipes)

HOLY SMOKE: THE BIG BOOK OF NORTH CAROLINA BARBECUE by John Shelton Reed & Dale Volberg Reed, 2008. (Photographs)

THE NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SOUTHERN CULTURE: VOLUME 7: FOODWAYS, edited by John T. Edge, 2007. (Essay)

CORNBREAD NATION 2: THE UNITED STATES OF BARBECUE edited by Lolis Eric Elie, 2004. (Photographs)

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing to know about this quirky cookbook is that it's not at all a normal cookbook. There is not a single photograph of one of the recipes, there's no nutritional information (that's definitely a good thing, as these are mainly horrifically unhealthy) and I'm giving it 4 stars despite the fact that I will probably never attempt to make more than a couple of recipes from it.

So why the high marks? It's fun, it's creative, it represents some real classic Southern cooking, and most of the recipes are likely to taste quite good. Most of all, it's because I appreciate that the two friends who wrote it are artists (in paint and literature). One friend painted quite kitchy paintings of things like Crisco cans and hair curlers, and together they created oddball characters to go with the paintings and recipes. Each recipe is introduced with a paragraph about some fictional (or not?) person who might give you this recipe. One lady smokes cigarettes while reading poetry in the bathtub. One man dabs peppermint on his neck so he smells like candy before heading to the skating rink. They gossip and argue, and most of them drink quite a lot. Indeed, the book is full of boozy recipes starting in the breakfast section.

I am a cook who cooks quite healthy. Most of what I cook is vegetarian, organic and gluten free. Chances are, someone in our family grew or foraged at least one ingredient in any meal I serve for supper. My 16 y/o son bakes cakes, cookies and pies several times a week but I've taught him how to grind the flours, make the extracts and pulverize the powdered sugar himself. This cookbook is full of white flour, saltine crackers, sardines and pork rinds. But no matter how I cook in my own kitchen, I can appreciate a well written recipe, a well told story and fun art. This book will serve up all of these. I'd recommend checking it out from the library rather than forking over the $25 price, but if you like this type of cooking and fun stories (think of the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Fried Green Tomatoes), this will make for a fun read and probably some tasty dishes. Just have a salad with them.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I have really just sat down and read through a cook book. I have to say it was really enjoyable! All the unique stories where the different recipes came from and the illustrations in this book were just so unique and beautiful. I look forward to trying some of the recipes and definitely the cocktails.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your average cookbook. It's more stories with a lot of recipes. A very enjoyable read. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

We were visiting friends in Atlanta when I asked about some artwork hanging on the wall of their home. My friend Elizabeth told me about the artist Amy Evans and couldn't believe that I was unfamiliar with her, especially given that both she (Evans) and I had lived in Oxford, Mississippi. Years later, still enamored with her artwork, I saw her post on Instagram that she would be releasing a cookbook featuring her artwork with recipes and stories by Martha Foose, of Greenwood, MS. I immediately pre-ordered several copies of the book for myself, friends, and family. I love the artwork. Truly. I loved the stories of the various women in the book. I even dogeared (my wife hates it when I do that) a few recipes to try out later. The food in the book is not the sort of thing I tend to find myself wanting to make and share, but that oyster, artichoke & spoonbread recipe is going to come in handy this weekend.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Positively delightful.

[Patch405 (Shannon Barghols) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a Southerner, born and bred. However, as an adult I left the south, following a career and then later a husband. I raised my children with manners and Southern staples such as sweet tea, grits, okra, and cornbread. I am always on the hunt for any book with Southern roots, and I eagerly grabbed this cookbook

My first reaction was a realization that a Southerner from the Lowcountry of South Carolina is not the same as a Southerner from the Mississippi Delta. There is not a single recipe in this book that I associate with my Southern heritage. I was also disappointed in the story-telling. There wasn’t really enough story-telling to draw me in. The short tidbits did not whet my appetite for the accompanying recipes.

Despite all this, the book is a feast for the eyes. I loved the vintage feel of the illustrations. The colors were bright and lively. The font variations and color schemes, along with the “notions & notes” made it enjoyable to read through the recipes. I also thoroughly enjoyed the favorite hot spots and products that were referenced throughout the book.

I didn't particularly enjoy this book, but if you are from Mississippi - it might be perfect for you.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore the old fashioned illustrations that appear throughout this book; I felt nostalgic as I saw Camay soap, Tang and Crisco in the paintings.  Amy, the artist, talks in the introduction about her inspiration while Martha, the cook, also adds her take. The book itself is organized  with the day in mind, beginning with breakfast and moving through to late night snacks.  There are then anytime treats.  Yum.

Within this framework, there are intriguingly named recipes.  For example, the Morning's Glories section includes "Ethel's Overnight Breakfast in Bed (a casserole), and Marge's Usual Sunrise (a drink) among others.  These titles definitely enticed me and kept me browsing through this book.

The recipes are all doable.  The presentation is quirky and fun.  This title could be a nice addition to a cook's bookshelf.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just reviewed A Good Meal Is Hard to Find by Amy C. Evans; Martha Hall Foose. #AGoodMealisHardtoFind #NetGalley

Amy loves to paint while Martha adores cooking, and together they create a cookbook. Hmm, seems odd to you, right? When you go out to a bookstore with a mind to purchase a cookbook, you would want a book created by chef authors, not a painter. But, I can assure you that this book will make you awed. Created with names of women and their background story behind the dish's name is just creative. And the recipes are so mouthwatering with the perfect illustration, feels like you get a book out of your Grandma's library. And I do enjoy reading cookbook with a lot of stories like storybook.

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an unusual, deeply quirky and beautiful to hold in your hands cookbook. The paragraph long stories are almost dreamlike in feeling...and the recipes thrilling to the extent you want to go out and buy the ingredients, sit on a screen porch and consume RIGHT NOW. The combo of Martha Foose and Amy Evans is fantastic. I hope this is not the end of that collaboration...and dearly hope to someday have the opportunity to have one of the cocktails with both of them. Hard to think of something more entertaining...

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give yourself an afternoon with this book! The short stories at the beginning of each recipe are very entertaining. Then, the recipes. These bring back memories that had been forgotten. A home revolves around the kitchen and all of the exciting eats that came out of it. My family and I have now tried 35 of the 60 recipes and are on schedule to sample all of them while rotating some back into our regular menus. This is a delightful read and an excellent cookbook..

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was provided with a digital copy of this book by NetGallery in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Oh my, this one took me back to rural Central Florida and the home of Grandmama Williams. (except the recipes with alcohol. She would have never allowed that in her home)

There were several recipes I am ready to try. This is truly Southern comfort food.

I absolutely loved the art in this volume!! I would purchase this just for the illustrations.

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish this cookbook had been longer! That said, it's so cute! I'd buy this in a heartbeat. I love the little stories that precede each recipe though I wish they would have been longer. So many great recipes I can't wait to try! Even if I can't find the ambition to make them entirely from scratch, they gave me enough to work with that I can make them semi-scratch. The mayonnaise recipe in the beginning does seem like something I can handle, though, so it might be the first thing I try.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a fun old timer vibe with cool retro artwork. Most of the recipes are fairly basic old fashioned and dated to an old fashioned era gone by. If you are a collector this is a great addition to your cookbook collection. I enjoyed looking through it and seeing all these old recipes. Not a goldmine for me as far as things I would cook but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun little book. Part gorgeous illustrations, part quirky narrative, part cookbook. It focuses largely on white middle class "deep south" culture- I would say mostly Mississippi delta, throw in some Alabama, Georgia, Florida, parts of Texas. It's a hoot. It is not (and I wouldn't guess that it aims to be) representative of all of the cultural groups of the entire south. I found it delightful and absolutely reminiscent of my time living in Mississippi and among Deltans.

[Leyla Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute gem of a book, with zanny artwork, fun stories , and easy recipes, just the thing for a lazy afternoon read (one may even make something) the recipes are good, easy to make, needing only a few ingredients and very little time. I really enjoyed this book, the layout, format and recipes - a very different cookbook

[Relyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa! I LOVE this book. I consider myself from the South, although I really spent my childhood all over the place. I somehow feel as though I am from nowhere and everywhere, both at once. But, mostly, I feel Southern and wish I truly were. This book made me homesick for the South I knew in my teens.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

A gorgeously created cookbook with so much art that it makes me think of something Andy Warhol and Julia Child collaborated on,

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook has some amazing artwork as well as some fun and easy recipes, several in which I really want to try, such as St. Anthony's Rosemary Braised Rabbit.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for adult summer reading at my local library. Loved the pictures and the recipes were fun. Would have loved more stories!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, even if you don't actually make the recipes. And the pictures, along with the *stories* take me back to a childhood in the South. There may be just too many uses for saltines, however.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations... That have very little to do with the recipes. And wonderful stories about the fictional recipe creators

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, as much for the short stories and illustrations as the recipes. true deep south charm.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great cookbook. I love the enigmatic little stories that start each one.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cotton candy for your cookbook shelf.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

A Good Meal Is Hard to Find is a wonderful retro-quirky painting, narrative, and recipe collection by Amy C. Evans & Martha Hall Foose. Due out 28th April 2020 from Chronicle Books, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a wonderfully curated collection of southern (USA) homestyle recipes. Each of the recipes has a short anecdotal story as introduction. They are arranged roughly thematically: breakfast, lunch, afternoon, dinner, and sweets. Each recipe includes an introduction with other info such as portion control and yields followed by bullet list ingredients in sidebars with prep-time estimates. The recipes' ingredients lists are provided with American standard measurements only. Special prep tips and info are provided in colored sidebars in the recipes.

The book does include a list of illustrations and a good cross referenced index. The effect of the whole book with combined recipes, stories, and artwork is quirky and charming. The recipes themselves are appealing and retro. There are no photographs included with the book, but the instructions are very clear and the lack wasn't a minus.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Danielle Kohs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll be honest I picked this cookbook because of the cute illustration on the front cover and the fact that it was southern cooking..which I love! Things I loved about the book were the vintage pictures throughout it, how the authors used recipes from vintage cookbooks they discovered and from community members, I liked that the authors added notions and notes to each recipe to give readers tips before attempting to make a dish, the small story behind the recipe is listed at the top of every recipe, every recipe sounds absolutely delicious and like true homemade southern cooking that gives a homey feel with passed down family recipes, how the authors separated the dishes into categories labeled: morning glories, lingering lunches, afternoon pick me ups, dinner dates, and anytime sweets. I think it was more creative for the authors to break it up like this then just simply listing them as appetizers, breakfast, lunch, etc. that most cookbooks do and it gives it its own unique appeal.
Only thing I didn’t love about it where that the finished pictures of what the recipes looked like weren’t included in it and I would have liked to see what it looked like when deciding what to try from the cookbook. Thank you to @netgalley and @chroniclebooks for allowing me to do an honest review.

[Jean Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun to read and real good recipes!