Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes)

Great fun to read and good old Souythern recipes.

I understand the reviewers who object to the lack of photos or the author's hostess-with-the-mostest name-dropping, but consider the source: the book is a collection of food columns (with recipes, as the title informs us), not a cookbook. As for me, I loved this book, which fed my ex-pat Southerner's heart with both the food and the 'tude.As one who is still mourning the loss of my copy of "Queen of the Turtle Derby" to a co-worker who moved away without returning it, I consider Julia Reed one of the best at the lighter side of Southern Studies. Not quite up there with Florence King, John Shelton Reed, and Roy C. Blount, but darn near. Light years ahead of Celia Rivenbark (who writes not-particularly-Southern Bombeckish pieces about suburban ladies-who-shop) or those Potato Queen people.Maybe it's just that the Delta is so close to my own Memphis origins, and Reed close to my own age, but despite our very different lives (I've never run around in diplomatic circles myself, nor hung out in Manhattan cocktail spots), I often find myself on the same page in my attitudes, particularly my notions of romance, glamour, and comfort. I find her style graceful and succinct, and I happily forgive the "my very good friend" name-dropping (which does get old) for her description of a garden party of her childhood or of a classically Southern blending of food, sex, and literature in the service of a doomed romance. Plus, I was inspired to make homemade pimiento cheese for the first time--it's something I never cared for as a child, but now I'm a convert.

The title of the book and the contents are at odds with each other. As a Southerner who loves to cook and entertain, I was sure this book would be a delight, with the bonus of some good recipes thrown in. Alas, the book gives scant attention to things most people from the South would enjoy and details instead the many fine meals the author has eaten at high-end restaurants in and outside the region. She devotes most of her attention to her famous friends (she's quite a name-dropper) and breathtakingly expensive food and drink she has purchased, prepared, and consumed. She apparently lived to impress colleagues, friends, and especially the famous--many of them cookbook authors. Given her background as a writer (and as a Southerner--because we do love a good storyteller), I expected her to be quite a raconteur. Another failure there. Her stories seem to focus mostly on how hard she worked to fix feasts and how eager she was to get drunk at her parties and those of others. A very disappointing book in almost every way.

I was having a discussion with a friend who grew up in Kentucky and when I saw this title it made me think of her! I enjoyed leafing thorugh the book - it also brought back many of my own memories of my Mom, who was raised in the south.A big downside for me, however, was that It was intended as a gift but my copy came with someone else's writing on the back cover. I clearly can't gift a marked-up book. That was disappointing. I was just going to let it go, but since I received this auto-survey request, I figured I might as well say how unhappy I was about that.aspect of my purchase. No offense to Julia Reed - the book is a hoot and a holler!

A wonderfully well-written story that was such fun to read that I had to buy a couple of copies for gifts.Whether you do a lot of entertaining and cooking or not, and whether you’re from the South or not, ‘this book is just plain fun.

Loved this book! So sad she passed away. I learned so much about the history of southern cooking . I also loved reading about the history of New Orleans

What a fun little book! And I can't tell it is a used copy, not at all!Bought it for a friend who lives on the West coast, but can't get enough of New Orleans. Will probably buy more of Julia Reed's books for her.Doubled back and bought one for me, too.

Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes) What a charming, lovely, and fun book! I received it yesterday, and devoured 100 pages the first night! The author has a wonderfully descripitive, humorous voice. The book is made up of short essays that include eveything from personal backround, to culinary history, to cocktail party how-to's, to lively charatcter descriptions. Each essay is then followed by a few delightful, often historical, recipes. I wish I could meet some of the eccentric characters from the author's childhood...hostess gowns, toast points, and fancy cigarette holders! This true-blue Bostonian highly recommends this charming book! Love it!!!

I didn't find it as entertaining as 'Queen of the Turtle Derby', and a little sheltered and repetitiive. Not a fan I'm afraid.

Funny with some good recipes.