Join me for breakfast~ it will be just us & the Chickens ~
What’s your pleasure?
Are you a juice drinker? Orange or Grapefruit?
Or do you prefer your vitamin C from fruit?
Do you prefer coffee in the morning or a cup of tea?
If it’s tea, are you traditional?
English Breakfast or Earl Grey?
Flavored coffee or just plain old java?
Sweetener? Skim Milk or Half & Half?
Would you like a little protein to start your day?
If it’s the weekend~ a beautiful spring day, or a celebratory occasion like Mother’s Day, do you indulge in something out-of-the-ordinary like Eggs Benedict?
Maybe on a biscuit~ Southern Style?
With a serving of Hashbrown and Sausage Casserole with Carmelized Onions?
I’m joining Jain with my Edible Book Review at Food for Thought, where pages from your book magically mix with the kitchen and your camera.
(This is part two of this Edible Review~ I ended up with more photos and content than I planned. If you missed the first part of this book review, look here.)
More garden & courtyard views from our strolls. . .Wouldn’t you love your address to be 113 Garden?
“Nothing is left to chance–the gate is designed to catch your eye first, so that you look farther into the garden to appreciate the flowers, the fountain, or a hundred different details that can be glimpsed as you stroll from house to house.”
This poor guy didn’t even wag his tail as we walked by. . . I think he was hotter than we were.
There is a chapter on collecting~ with photos of silver, plates, pottery, and canes.
Brandon’s Style Secrets:
“Silver objects transcend every style of decor. Don’t be afraid to use a silver collection to complement both modern and antique furniture. Silver doesn’t need to be polished constantly to be party-ready and beautiful. The old patina of silver is particularly lovely. It shows the age of the piece.”
Paula’s house on the water at Turner’s Creek~
“There’s nothing on the walls to impede the view of the water. The simple colors and matching furniture are all designed to play second fiddle to the view.”
With its coastal location, seafood is an automatic choice for Savannah. With the mention of shrimp, I went to a recipe that is a version of one my mother-in-law makes~
Marinated Shrimp
~adapted from Paula’s recipe and a Southern Living recipe
Prep: 20 min., Cook: 3 min., Chill: 24 hrs
Yield: Makes 12 to 15 appetizer servings
Ingredients
7 1/2 cups water
1 box Crab & Shrimp Boil seasoning
3 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
2 small red onions, sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 -4 0z. jar of capers, drained
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon white wine Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
Preparation
1. Bring 7 1/2 cups water and contents of seasoning box to a boil; add shrimp, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain and rinse with cold water. Peel shrimp, and, if desired, devein.
2. Layer shrimp, red onion slices, and lemon slices in an airtight container.
3. Whisk together vegetable oil and next 8 ingredients; pour over shrimp. Cover and chill 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
There is chapter on Book Nooks. . .
“A library doesn’t have to be a room. You can create one in a pass-through hallway, or by adding shelves that under a stairway–spaces that are not normally used.”
We spied lots of places that would be delightful “nooks” to curl up and read on our strolls thru Savannah~ of course, we would have needed a strong breeze or muchcooler temperatures to enjoy them this particular weekend. Maybe late October/ November?
“Packed with advice and nostalgia, Paula Deen’s Savannah Style makes it easy to bring gracious Southern living to homes north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line.”
“Lush and liveable, Savannah Style is not just a look or book, it is a lifestyle.” – Brandon Branch
Be sure to visit Food for Thought and see what everyone is reading & eating!
I’m joining Jain with my Edible Book Review at Food for Thought, where pages from your book magically mix with the kitchen and your camera.
We recently spent the weekend in Savannah, Georgia, which you can read a bit about here. I returned with plenty of photos of this historic Southern city and several new books, one of which was Savannah Style. Paula Deen, the city’s most famous resident and anointed Queen of Southern Cuisine, and her stylist and co-author Brandon Branch, along with Atlanta photographer Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn, have combined talents in this richly illustrated book. Divided by season, this book offers tips for entertaining and decorating, as well as photographs of some of Savannah’s grandest homes~ from the grounds of Lebanon Plantation to the whimsically restored cottages on Tybee Island.
I’ve divided this review into two parts~ to help the photos load easier, once I discovered I had too much content. (I’m not very good at editing :-) There is a link at the end of this section that will lead you to part two.
“Brandon Branch is a playful Southern gentleman. His style is equal parts Yankee chic and Southern elegance all muddled together in a monogrammed mint julep cup. An invitation to one of his Savannah dinner parties is the equivalent to getting the golden ticket from Willy Wonka. Brandon holds the position of Design Director for Paula Deen Enterprises and serves as Paula Deen’s Personal Assistant.” ~ pauladeen.com
You can see more tabletop inspiration from Brandon here.
The chapters on porches~ Porch Livin’, Screened Porches, Porch Views are full of beautiful photos that evoke images a Southern breeze~ sitting with a good book and sipping a glass of iced tea or a cool drink. No breezes were blowing when we visited, with sultry temperatures in the high 90′s & a heat index of 110! Fortunately for us, Savannah is a city where you will not go thirsty :-)
Searching through Paula’s drink recipes, I stumbled on this one~
My personal twist would be to add some citron vodka to make this a refreshing afternoon cocktail. . .
“Walk down any street in Savannah and you’ll see parlor-level porches; gaze through the fence and you will see the side porches; get yourself invited in and you’ll see the courtyard and balcony porches.”
One of Brandon’s style tips:
“Porches are for bringing your lifestyle outside during the warm months. You should think of the porch as an extra room, and like any other room in your house, it should reflect your sense of style. Be creative–think of your porch as a nighttime room as well as a daytime space.”
This porch is quite literally reflecting some homeowner’s sense of style~ I loved glimpsing the reflections in this mirror~ the magnolia and abit of peach stucco, from across the street.
There is a chapter on wrought iron in this book. I am drawn to all variety and designs of wrought iron. I have bits of old gates and grills in my garden and on my walls at home and at the lake. (which is partly why this review was divided into two parts, I included too many pics :-)
Wrought iron is visible everywhere in Savannah. Most iron in Savannah is painted CharlestonGreen~ The color Charleston Green originated after the American Civil War, when the North provided black paint to the South for use in its reconstruction. Too “funereal” for Charlestonians, they mixed the black with a little bit of yellow and Charleston Green was born.
Stairs. . .
Balcony railings. . .
Gates. . .
I love the idea that this gate emblem/crest was custom made for someone with the intials BN. . .
And this custom iron gate with a frying pan inset outside of The Lady & Sons. . .
An example of an oval window inset we found in our strolls, that might have been installed to thwart pie thieves :-)
So with that for inspiration, I searched for a pie recipe from Paula. I found a different sort of pie recipe~
I did make a couple of minor adaptations to the recipe with consideration to our arterial walls. (Whenever I watch Paula cook~ with her love of butter & mayo, I always wonder what kind of cholesterol medication she must be on :-)
I substituted olive oil mayo and used 3/4 of a cup instead of a full cup. I also used 2% cheese, instead of full fat~ I don’t think we sacrificed any flavor. The fact that I didn’t use the South’s favorite Mayonnaise~ Duke’s, would probably make Paula faint :-)
Courtyard Gardens:
“The garden walls kept passersby from seeing into the gardens, but there are many who want to share the beauty of their handiwork with others. These people have installed wrought-iron gates or wooden doors with little windows that afford the curious a peek into the garden. Keep your eyes open on a slow stroll down any Savannah street and you will find many of these hidden treasures.”
Here are a few treasures we spied, thru garden gates into courtyards on our visit~ one of my favorite things to do. . . you never know what surprises you’ll find~
I’m joining Jain with my Edible Book Review at Food for Thought, where in her words, pages from yourbook magically mix with the kitchen and your camera.
In 1972, the town of DeClare, Oklahoma, was reeling from the murder of Gaylene Harjo and the disappearance of her baby, Nicky Jack. When the child’s pajama bottoms were found on the banks of a creek, Nicky Jack is presumed dead.
Nearly 30 years later, Dr. Mark Albright, aka Nicky Jack, returns to DeClare after learning of his adoption~ on a mission to find his birth mother. His shocking reappearance causes a stir in the town, as he tries to follow the shaky trail of evidence and decipher thirty-year-old clues regarding his mother’s murder. Secrets begin to emerge as the truth is revealed bit by bit~ in a story of a young girl’s dreams, and an act of desperate love.
The “domino boys” are a foursome that hang out at Teeve Harjo’s pool hall:
“The oldest of this foursome was Ron John O’Reily, who at eighty-two was developing Alzheimer’s; the grumpiest but undisputed leader of the pack was Lonnie Cruddup, who in temperament was much like his deceased sibling, Raymond. Johnny and Jackson Standingdeer, Cherokee brothers in their late fifties rounded out the group.”
“What does it mean, ‘shoot the moon’? ‘It means he’s gonna go for all the tricks. The whole kit and kaboodle’, Jackson said. ‘Kind of like getting married’, Lonnie explained.”
‘How’s that?’ Mark asked. ‘Well, say you find you a woman you just can’t get enough of. You want her so bad you can’t eat, can’t sleep. Now you know this is a woman who’s gonna keep your bed warm on cold nights, make you potato soup, when you’re sick. She’s gonna believe you even when you’re lying. Hell, she’s the only person in the world who’s gonna know what wanted that you never got, and what you got that you never wanted. But you know for certain there’s gonna be times when this woman is gonna make you miserable. She’s gonna bitch if you forget your anniversary. She’s gonna want to watch some crying movie on TV when there’s a ball game you wanna see. She’ll expect you to skip your poker game and keep her company when she’s feeling blue. In other words, she’s gonna be a pain in the ass some of the time. So, you gotta make a decision. What are gonna do? Walk away from her? Or go for it all. Give her up? Or shoot the moon.”
So with that convoluted explanation of Shooting the Moon, I tookthe potato soup reference & ran with it. . .my options were limited since most of the food references revolve around a character whose cooking is kindly described as “unusual”. In addition to Pumpkin squid bisque, his repertoire includes cold fish mousse and lima bean souffle :-)
After I pureed the ingredients, I decided for our tastes, it was too smooth, and wanted some potato “chunks”. I diced up probably a pound or so more, (I had a 5 lb. bag tostart, so I had plenty left) and tossed them in to simmer. This soup has great flavor~ due to the roasted leeks, potatoes & the arugula. (I did not peel my potatoes, as it called for~) I’m sure the crispy shallots the recipe calls for to garnish it with would be great, I just didn’t go that route. Also, I couldn’t find creme fraiche at the lake. My Trader Joe’s carries it, but it was too far to go, so I just substituted sour cream. I would definitely make this soup again~it made a gracious plenty, and we shared it with my in-laws, since my mother-in-law loves potato soup.
I loved this quote describing how gossip spreads in DeClare upon Nicky Jack’s return:
“The story, on the loose now, raced through the community like an unbridled child. Rumors climbed over backyard fences, skipped from street to street, romped down the aisles of Walmart, tumbled through the Laudromat and cartwheeled through the park. Later, no one would give much thought to the path the news had traveled, but more than a few would be amazed at the speed with which the story sprinted past the city limits, jumped the river, galloped over eight counties and dashed across the state line.”
The Domino Boys consider the pool hall a “man’s refuge” and are quite put out when, after Teeve’s husband skips town, Teeve decides she’ll run it without selling beer or booking bets. The last straw however, is when she changes the sign to “Teeve’s Pool Hall and Tea Room”. She has to bribe them a Peanut Butter Pie, a new domino table and has to change her sign to read “Teeve’s Place”, since The Boys claim they can’t be seen frequenting a Tea room.
This pie is quick & easy~ but sweet, sweet, sweet. . .insulin shots may be required!
“He had come to this place in Oklahoma to find the mother who had let him go, the mother who had not loved him enough to keep him. Instead, he’d found the girl who had given up her dreams, but not her baby.”
Like the ingredients in Ina Garten’s Potato Soup, there is a little bit of everything in this book~ humor, colorful characters, mystery and romance.
Be sure to visit Food for Thought and see whatever is reading & eating!
