It’s Time for Parties on the Porch! a book review

Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits by Reese Witherspoon

This is a delightful book about growing up and being a younger adult in the southern United States. It leans a little bit towards the silver-spoon side (for instance, my family’s road trips were in a square-back Volkswagen and later a Chevrolet, never a Cadillac!), but most southerners can relate to the sweet tea for all occasions, respect for others, fun with children and grandparents, gardening, dinner parties and family-table-times, doing good and being neighborly, friendships, and the southern woman’s tendency to over-do all holidays and special occasions.

This would be a great book for southerners of all ages, young women just starting to cook and entertain, and anyone just wanting to get a clue to southern culture. The recipes are great, although most are a bit more decadent than I am accustomed to, although the corn salad, hoecakes and okra are spot-on. I was surprised by the sugar in her greens recipe-I thought that something a southerner would never add. The Derby pie was new to me, although I’d heard of it, and I can’t wait to try the frozen fruit salad (looks like Swan House and the  former Rich’s Magnolia tea room recipe).

There are many more fun chapters in the book, like how to set your hair in hot rollers, the popularity of monograms and proper dressing, lightened by lots of memories of childhood fun. (It reminded me of how many childhood hours I spent digging with my neighbor’s Tonka trucks or climbing the apple tree, and how my Grandmother Irene was scandalized by such unladylike behavior!)

Reese’s book is like a breath of spring air, reminding me that there will be get-togethers on the back porch soon!