Deborah Ford - Grits (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life

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Table of Contents

This book is dedicated to my daughters, Callie and Chesley Michael; their grandmothers, Elizabeth Rogers Fleming and Sybil Hendricks Michael; my sisters, Virginia, Barbara, Rita, and Mavis; my brother Stanley; all of my friends in the neighborhood; and to the memory of Edies brothers, David and Phillip Blackburn, and to the courage of her brother, Terry.

And of course, I dedicate the book especially to all Girls Raised in the South, who I am grateful to count as my true-blue sisters.

Deborah Ford

Acknowledgments

Id like to thank the many people who were instrumental in the completion of this book: my agent, Bret Witter; my editor, Kelly Notaras; and my friends Paula Bennett Paddick, Sandy Eichelberger, Julie Dana, Brandy Clough, Dana Gache, Travis Saucer, Darlene Real, Kathy Hope, Mark Aldridge, Linc Hand, Mitzi Breeze, Kim Poss, Sue Blackburn Hardesty, and Dr. Cathy Davis.

Finally, this book would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of my partner, Don Sallee.

Deborah Ford

grits\grits\ n :

1. : acronym for Girls Raised In The South

2. : an increasingly popular expression associated with the enviable attributes of Southern women, e.g., absolutely irresistible charm, a relaxed Southern drawl that leaves men hanging on every word, and the natural inclination to be cunning and caring

3. : also refers to a Southern breakfast dish made from ground hominy

Foreword

As a true blue Southern girl I have often wondered... if prep-pies could have their own handbook... why not us? And now at last, my two good friends Deborah Ford and Edie Hand have written the definitive handbook for Southern gals raised in the South. One must simply not leave home without it! It deserves a place on your shelf between Gone With the Wind and the Memphis Junior League cookbook, and I predict in years to come it will be passed down to daughters along with the family silver and great-grandmothers lace doilies. It is funny, wise, charming, and smart, just like the two gals who wrote it.

As modern Southern women we have learned to network with one another and share all the good advice and recipes and rules of accepted behavior that have been handed down to us (its a rough world out there). And so in keeping with that wonderful tradition I would like to share some advice my own wise Southern mother gave to me. When I was in high school contemplating whether to take Home Economics or not, my mother exclaimed: Oh no, darling... you must never learn to cook and clean or they will expect you to do it! It is advice that has served me well throughout the years. Good luck in all you do!

Fannie Flagg

Fannie FlaggsFried Green Tomatoes from the Original Whistlestop Cafe

To keep the cooked tomatoes from getting soggy before they are served, stand them up like wheels in the serving dish instead of stacking them.

cup self-rising flour
cup cornmeal
teaspoon salt
teaspoon pepper
cup milk
3 to 4 green tomatoes, cut into -inch slices
Vegetable oil

Combine first 5 ingredients; mix until smooth. Add additional milk to thin, if necessary; batter should resemble pancake batter. Working in batches, dip tomato slices into batter, allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl. Fry in 2 inches hot oil (375) in a large heavy skillet until browned, turning once carefully with tongs. Transfer to a colander to drain.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

Introduction

What can be more Southern than to obsess about being Southern?

Elizabeth Fortson Arroyo

What makes a Girl Raised in the South so very extraordinary? Why, its the very essence of who we areour style, our heritage, and our upbringing. Were remarkably distinct and hopelessly in love with our history and tradition. Known far and wide for our femininity, charm, hospitality, and beauty, were mighty proud of what we say to the world.

Its often said that we Southerners get our charm from our historically aristocratic background, and thats partly truewhat is known today as Southern culture began three centuries ago with the European settlers who came to our region. But real Southern character isnt about mansions and plantationsits about ordinary people, of all races and backgrounds, who go the extra mile to live life with dignity, style, class, and pride even in todays fast and furious world. What does this mean for you, dear reader? It means that absolutely anyone can learn the secrets of Southern charm, no matter where youre from or who your people are.

How, you ask? Well honey, thats what were here for!

What you hold in your hands is a down-home, bona fide Southern primer. Seeing as how we Southern women are committed to the practice of hospitality (see Part III, Southern Hospitality), wed never leave you to figure out the ingredients for mixing up that special Grits charm all by yourself. No indeed! In fact, weve cooked up a whole section dedicated to The Basic Ingredients (Part I) that make a Southern girl unique. And for those of you who may be slower to catch on than most, bless your hearts, weve chosen an utterly Southern symbol to represent each one of these very important traits:

The Magnolia Tree for strength of character
The Iron Skillet for Southern flavor
The String of Pearls for beauty, both natural and cultured

Southern girls know their grits:

Cheese

Garlic

Stone-ground

Once were all clear on what Grits are made of, itll be time to teach you a little about acting like one! Well show you how to talk like a Girl Raised in the South (Chapter 4, Saying Darlin Like You Mean It), how to eat like one (Chapter 6, I Do Believe You Ate My Salad), how to entertain like one (Chapter 10, Putting on the Grits). Well explain the intricacies of the Southern wedding (Chapter 11, Let Them Eat Cake), help you untangle your family treeSouthern style (Chapter 17, The Ties That Bind [And Sometimes Strangle]), and give you a tour through our Grits Hall of Fame (Chapter 18, Making Us Proud). And thats just the tip of the iceberg: theres also Southern humor (Chapter 12), Southern sports (Chapter 15), andPraise the Lawd!even Southern religion (Chapter 14).

Above all else, this book is full to brimming with Southern pride. We hope that after reading The Grits Guide to Life you, too, will want to be a Grits girl. Whether you were born and bred below the Mason-Dixon line, or just want to have that Southern polish (Grits also stands for Girls Refined in the South, after all!), this book has everything you need to be the beautiful belle youve always wanted to be. Learn our history, follow our dos and donts, and practice your wit, charm, and style daily. Before long youll find youve become a genuine smooth-talking, card-toting, sweet-as-sugar Southern belle to make Miss Scarlett proud!

So pull up a chair. Sit for a spell. The book you hold in your hands will teach you everything you need to know about life, Southern girl style.

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