The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook (Plastic Comb)

~ Paula H. Deen (Author), John Berendt (Introduction)
Key Phrases: cold appetizers, ounce box powdered sugar, cup self rising flour, House Seasoning, The Lady Sons, Main Courses (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his enthusiastic introduction, John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, writes: "Authentic Southern food is not about pretension." Sure enough, this book by the proprietor of The Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah, Ga., doesn't put on any airs. A great many recipes unabashedly list prepared foods among the ingredients. As an appetizer, Garlic Cheese Spread includes an eight-ounce package of cream cheese and an eight-ounce jar of Cheez-Whiz. Shrimp or Lobster Bisque contains, in addition to seafood, a can each of condensed tomato soup and condensed mushroom soup. The restaurant's most popular dessert is Gooey Butter Cakes, which starts with a box of Duncan Hines yellow cake mix. Still, some of the recipes attain a high level of regional authenticity: Georgia Cracker Salad is made with crushed saltines, tomato, scallions, hard-boiled egg and mayonnaise; Southern Fried Chicken acquires its crispy coating with a batter of eggs and self-rising flour. Readers concerned about high fat content should skip this book. But those looking for some distinctively American comfort food?and in a mood for some decidedly anti-nouvelle regression?might want to take a peek.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Savannah's popularity as a tourist destination has increased dramatically in the months that John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has been on the New York Times best sellers list, and in his introduction to this cookbook, Berendt says Deen's restaurant is one he recommends to visitors as exemplifying "the very heart of Southern cooking." Deen (the Lady) says Southern cooking is "comfort food," and she and her two sons serve homey, completely unpretentious food at their popular downtown restaurant. Many of the recipes she includes here rely on convenience foods (canned soup, Cheese Whiz) and some have been perennial favorites in "community" cookbooks since the Fifties or Sixties. Area libraries will want copies; most others can skip.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Plastic Comb: 192 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1st Random House, Inc., ed edition (April 7, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375751114
• ISBN-13: 978-0375751110
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,872 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Y'all are gonna LOVE this!, March 16, 2004

By	Susan G. Hodge (La Canada, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

OK, I admit that I am a Paula Deen, Food Network groupie...I love her warm, upbeat manner and I'm impressed with her Cinderella story which has been recounted by countless other reviewers. Her charm is found all through this title and its sequel and reading the stories behind the recipes is just as enlightening as the recipes themselves. Paula writes the way she speaks, and you can even hear her easy Savannah drawl as you read. The recipes are down-to-earth, mostly pretty simple, and decadently satisfying. Those doing Atkins or Weight Watchers need not apply here...we're talkin' SERIOUS cheese, butter, and cream (yep, the real stuff!). After making the basic meat loaf, sesame chicken strips, pot roast (my husband RAVED!), Southern fried chicken, and baked spaghetti (this, actually from the 2nd book), I was convinced that hearty Southern cooking would become a regular part of my usually less calorie-laden California fare! Fun and delicious!

84 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Lady Can Cook!, May 20, 2001

By	sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is a fine compendium of southern recipes most of which are served at Ms. Deen's highly regarded Savannah restaurant. The book is spiral-bound so it will lay flat, the print is large and the margins are wide. The author doesn't mind a short cut or two, and neither do I. The recipes are not taxing, but many are ingenious. When making meatloaf, Ms. Dean lines a jellyroll pan with slices of bread that soak up all that nasty fat. When the meatloaf is done, discard the bread. I was so grateful she didn't demand I use the soggy bread for something I had no intention of making; I decided she was my kind of lady right there.

Her recipe for tomato pie was a hit with my family:

4 tomatoes peeled & sliced, 8-10 fresh basil leaves chopped, ½ c chopped green onion, one prebaked 9-inch deep pie shell, salt & pepper to taste, 2c grated mozzarella & cheddar combined, 1 c mayonnaise (Hellman's or make your own)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer tomato slices, basil, and onion in pie shell. Add salt and pepper. Mix together grated cheese and mayonnaise. Spread on top of tomatoes. Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

This is an excellent side dish and a good helper when you have planted a "few" tomato vines only to find you have wheelbarrows full come July. I would have given the book five stars except a few recipes listed garlic powder as an ingredient. Don't use it! Fresh garlic is cheap and doesn't have a chemical taste. With this small quibble, I recommend the book highly.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for potlucks..., May 2, 2003

By	"meanusjeanus" (Gainesville, FL United States) - See all my reviews

I have made many recipes from this book and have eaten at her resturant several times (I've met her also- she's very nice). I have never once been disappointed. Some may be turned off by some of the convenience products used (ie cream of mushroom soup) but since I'm on a budget and a new mom I have found her recipes to be cost effective, easy, fast, and delicious (there are a few that are more challenging/expensive that I haven't tried yet). I've never brought home leftovers. The strawberry and cheese ring was a hit (even people who were at first wary of strawberries and cheddar cheese combo). The spinich-artichoke dip, hoecakes, and cobblers are great as well. The recipes are well tested and detailed. This is one of the first cookbooks I turn to when I have company coming (which seems to happen a lot with a new baby!) or for luncheons at work. Most of these recipes are also very kid friendly. If you like to cook non-fussy foods that everyone enjoys, you'll like this cookbook. ps. The desserts are fabulous!