A Southerly Course: Recipes and Stories from Close to Home

by Martha Hall Foose

In the highly anticipated follow-up to her bestselling Screen Doors & Sweet Tea, Martha Hall Foose shares recipes and stories that are even closer to her home and heart.

A Southerly Course delves deep into Mississippi Delta flavors and foodways, where Martha finds inspiration in local ingredientsâ from figs and sweet potatoes to crawfish and venison. In her signature style, she pairs each recipe with an anecdote or words of advice, her memorable tales about each dish lingering long after the last bite has been polished off.

Martha’s beloved Southern cuisine is a fresh take on homey favorites fiercely protected by the locals, including Skillet Fried Corn, Sweet Pickle Braised Pork Shoulder, and Blackberry Jelly Roll. Dishes such as Sweet-and-Sour Salsify and Peanut Chicken, on the other hand, reflect the influence other cuisines have had on Southern cooking. Martha’s lifelong bond with Mississippi is most apparent when she introduces her friends and family; she dedicates Burgundy Duck to a fiery group of women duck hunters called the Swamp Witches, while her cousin’s new wife inspires Korean-style Grilled Green Onions. And in recalling her former neighbor, the famed author Eudora Welty, she reveals the secret to a perfect Custard Pie.
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With more than 100 recipes and beautiful color photographs, this book is a wonderful, personal look into the South that Martha loves. Gather around her table in A Southerly Course for unforgettable food and vivid stories, both hallmarks in a rich Southern tradition.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Southern, Biography, Reference

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few great recipes in here, but also a ton that I would never make - so the book was slightly disappointing as a whole, but I am really excited about the handful of recipes I did get.

[Alina Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a lot of recipes in this book that I not useful for everyday cook like myself. There is no way, I would serve pigeons on dinner table.

[Pam Kirkpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I like most about Martha Hall Foose's cookbooks are the stories she creates around the dishes and the true southern quality. This book had a lot of game recipes that I would not want to make, but otherwise, I enjoyed it. My favorite is still Screen Doors and Sweet Tea.

[Laina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recipes are very interesting and sound delicious, but I wouldn’t make most of them on a regular basis. As well, I don’t know where you would get things like pigeon from.
However, the desserts were fantastic and you’re much more likely to make those.

[Markita Tyrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will preface this by saying that I am vegan but I was looking for good southernly meals that I could veganize. While I enjoyed the stories a lot of the meals were not appetizing even to my former meat eating self. I only saw a few things I would want to serve at gatherings.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of recipes, but nothing that stuck out to me.

[Mrs. Dunwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great

The pictures and stories are lovely but the recipes have some weird ingredients that I know I could never find living in a rural area.

[Dray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing bad about this book and southern it is. But, not a lot for vegetarians

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice Cookbook. Lots of different dishes.

One of the problems I noticed is a number of ingredients are only available in the Southern US, and being in Northern Canada, well... No fresh Catfish up here.

Pickled Quail Eggs and Sausage?

But I'm still not going to try Frog Legs! No way - no how. And let's just say this is not one dish I'm apt to leap at.

Purple Sweet Potatoes! Sounds yummy. Too bad I can't get them or import the seed (due to Canada Customs rulings). Grrr...

Otherwise, an interest read.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book full of traditional southern recipes and others with new and unusual ingredients. This book is worth reading simply for the story about Eudora Welty at its center and a recipe devised for her pleasure if she was still with us.

I'll be converting several of them to gluten and dairy free for my own good fun, and the blackberry cake will be my first birthday offering.

The photographs will take your breath away.

[marcia freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A visit to my own youth!

Thank you, Eudora, for a trip down memory lane! I too, grew up in wonderful Mississippi along the western coast. With each recipe I would recall long-forgotten faces, stories and places. The recipes that I can remember making with my mother, grandmother and my great-aunt would leap up off the page and leave me smiling. Now my great challenge is what I will be making first!

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were very few recipes in this book I would actually want to fix. Most were just ok or featured ingredients that I just can't get- like salsify or purple sweet potatoes. I am disappointed that the recipes in this book aren't more accessible, like the Southern hospitality this book is supposed to represent.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

A fantastic follow up to Ms. Foose's first book, this is a fun, fresh and delicious read. The stories are as entertaining as the recipes that they accompany, and the food is delicious and heart-warming. I highly recommend this book, especially for southern food enthusiasts.

-- Meagan

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love to read cookbooks and this one was especially enjoyable. The stories and memories Foose tells with each recipe were delightful. The photography exquisite. Not truly a Southern cookbook but recipes that are part of a Southern lady's life.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty with nice stories, but many recipes I would use.

[ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastic pictures and nice round collection of recipes. I plan to try out the Black and White Bean Salad soon.

[Bednarzterry · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few recipes I want to try, but I didn't like this as much as the first book by this author. Still worth checking out though.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I much preferred her first book, Screen Doors & Sweet Tea. This one just didn't click with me.