45 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The REAL deal......................., May 30, 2009
This review is from: Down Home with the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook (Hardcover)
Before giving an opinion on the contents, I have to qualify this by saying that I met the Neely's at our downtown bookstore for their signing of their first foray into publishing. This incredible couple is truly the REAL deal...........you wanted them to come by your house and visit. They made you feel that you were the only one there; they were so kind, gracious, and sincere; THANK YOU! What you see on TV is exactly that same warm and welcoming embrace that you receive in person. You just can't picture them apart because God knew them for each other.
This book is a concrete affirmation of the love of marriage and the bond of family. It isn't just a cookbook; it is a proud weaving of the Neely family, both as a couple and as a restaurant business. You are welcomed into the humble and touching story of William and Lorine Neely; their struggles and challenges in life and how they instilled the work ethic into their five young sons and daughter. Those very same work ethics would become the basis for building the business and food empire that we have come to know and love and appreciate as Neely's. How Pat and Gina came to be completes the story circle.
After a most gracious and heartfelt introduction from another great Southern gal who we all know and love, and whose sons discovered this great family, Paula Deen, we are given two versions of the wonderful story of love and life, each by Gina and Pat themselves. You'll feel the warmth and love as you read the tale of how two young kids, kindred spirits since highschool, came into their own, and finally got married. Photos are many and scattered about so that you can place the names and faces and dates together as you visually "read" their story.
There are over 272 pages in this book; needless to say, the sharing of recipes are great and gastronomical so here is the table of contents with a glimpse into each section. Remember, there are a whole bunch more recipes in each part that will make your tastebuds do the happy dance.....................
PAULA DEEN'S FOREWARD
GINA'S INTRODUCTION
PAT'S INTRODUCTION
THE REUNION: Pat & Gina's story of love and marriage after several years
NEELY KNOWLEDGE (The basics of true Southern cooking but also the Neely secrets like BBQ Seasoning, BBQ sauce, Mom Lorine's Brown Gravy, Gina's Perfect Rice, and Crusty Cornbread: you're not in the South if this isn't on your plate!)
HOG WILD: MEMPHIS STYLE BBQ (A mini history of this BBQ style)
TONY'S TIPS (Brother Tony's guide to grilling, woodchips, grilling temperatures, and how to purchase the perfect meat)
GETTING A NEELY-STYLE PARTY STARTED (Caribbean Rum Nut, Warm Artichoke and Collard Greens Dip, Pimento Cheese Melts and the GREAT story in Madrid, dipping sauce, and shrimp)
SOUTHERN SOUPS AND STEWS (Chowder, gumbo, chili, and stews)
REFRESHING SALADS (Spinach Salad with Bcaon, Blue Cheese, Pecans, and Cranberries, a Neely must-have: Sweet and Spicy Slaw, Potato Salad, and Bean Salad)
STICK-TO-YOUR-RIBS SIDE DISHES (Corn, Okra, Kale, Fried Green Tomatoes, Collard Greens, Ham Hocks, and Sweet Potatoes)
DIG IN: SOULFUL ENTREES (The foods that are a visual and gastronomic tale of Pat's childhood, and like all of us, bring back warm and happy feelings and memories that nothing else can..................BBQ Potatoes, BBQ Spaghetti, Fish, Ham, Pork Chops, and Chicken: oooh.....which way to make it?!)
SHOW-STEALING SANDWICHES (Veggie, Pork, Catfish, Hamburgers)
DESSERTS (Brownies, Cookies, Pies, Fruit Desserts, Pudding, Bars, Cakes)
SLEEP LATE BREAKFAST (Oh the biscuits!! Doughnuts, Pecan Rolls, Muffins, Eggs, Waffles, Hashbrowns)
SOUTHERN LIBATIONS (Lemonades, Margaritas, Sangria, Juleps)
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS (One of the best parts of this book)
INDEX of RECIPES
I noted that another reviewer caught a possible error in a recipe; I haven't gotten to that recipe yet but one of the great avenues of modern times is the Internet. I think I'll send an email to find out or I might just give one of their restaurants a jingle. I'm sure they would be able to find someone to clarify this for us; I'll add an addendum when I find out.
This is a cookbook and labor of love in which much heart and soul has been put into the effort. Stuff happens. Enjoy the purpose and joy of this tome; be well; be happy! Peace!
Addendum (June 18): Blessings to all!! I finally got my act together and got the "Sock It To Me" cake recipe question answered; I used 2 email sites to ask for some clarification, but I wasn't able to get an answer so I called their corporate office and the woman who answered was most kind, gracious, and helpful. The cookbook recipe does call for 2-1/4 cups of cake flour, not just the 1/4 cup as listed in the book. I also purchased the first season DVD of "Down Home with the Neely's" cooking show from their website (Amazon doesn't carry it) and the recipe ingredients/measurements for many of the dishes prepared on TV are different than the way they are listed in the cookbook. My opinion on this difference is that I am assuming that because of time constraints, production schedules, etc that the TV recipes are altered a bit to fit the timeclock. BUT..........regardless of how you make the recipes, they all are VERY deelish! My opinion is that making the "Sock It To Me Cake" per the TV recipe version was a bit tastier in that it calls for a box of Golden Yellow Cake mix (there is a cute story about this particular ingredient that Pat talks about on the show), whereas the cookbook uses cake flour. Either way, it was delicious, but the TV version made my tastebuds dance just a wee-bit longer. So there you go. Peace!
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