“Oh, Southern cooking, you will be the death of me,” Carrie posted to Facebook, on the eve of Lady Book Club. To which I replied, “Preparation-wise, or arterially?” The answer (obviously): both.
We had been veering away, lately, from our custom of having meals that were thematically linked to our reading selection—what does one prepare for a tale of Jesuits in space, anyway?—but with The Help, Carrie, as it was her turn to host, was determined to make a good ol’ fashioned, stick-to-your-ribs Southern meal, or as close to one as a half-Jewish girl from Queens could muster. And being a perfectionist, she was testing recipes up until the day, hence the despairing Facebook announcement. Which, fears allayed. We were served a spiral-cut ham, collard greens, Paula Deen’s tomato pie—a dish my Southern kinfolk never served but holy hell is it tasty—and cornbread. For dessert, the most obvious tie-in to the book, the chocolate pie pictured above. The recipe, however, did not include Minny’s secret ingredient. At least, not that we know of.
Sadly, the pitcher of sweet tea stood neglected, as there were approximately eight bottles of wine that needed to be consumed.
