Where Did You Get That Recipe?

  
Last night I went to the kick off event for the new Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties at the invitation of my friend, Sarah Graham Motsinger one of the three cookbook project leaders. I was there in my official Durham Magazine role to give the cookbook some love in the press, but had a wonderful time talking with new and old friends.
The birth of a cookbook is a long gestation and I think I heard this was a four year project. The work shows in the book, perfectly titled Taste of Tobacco Road. Unlike Junior League of the past this book has many original photos that were shot at Sarah’s mom Sally’s house. But true to league cookbook traditions the book is full of friendly, recognizable favorites of the area like tomato pie and two kinds of pimento cheese. Items any southern cook should know how to make by heart, but a recipe never hurts.
One of my first cookbooks in college was Soupçon (pronounced soup’s on) from the junior league of Chicago. I learned to make coquille St. Jacques from that book, which my friend Hugh Braithwaite used to call “Coke with Sam and Jack”. Of course I was the only person having dinner parties in college were I served scallops. Hell, I was the only person having dinner parties.
Despite it’s somewhat pretentious name for a cookbook, it had lots of helpful hints for a new cook. The best part was the recipes were fairly well tested so I never made anything that was a fail from that book. I think that is one of the tried a true hallmarks of Junior League cookbooks. Those young women never want to be embarrassed by running into someone in the grocery store who made a pound cake from their cookbook that did not rise.
I have not made anything from this book yet since I just got it last night, but from my first quick read I find it to be a well balanced, useful group of recipes that look tasty. The book makes a perfect Christmas gift, especially for those relatives who don’t live here and get to eat in our wonderful restaurants, many of whom contributed recipes for the book. You can order the books directly from the junior league at the cookbook website Taste of Tobacco Road. Congratulations to all the women who worked so hard on this beautiful book. I look forward to cooking from it soon!