Jean Anderson COOKS!!
It is no secret that I’m not a fan of a certain shrill Southern TV celebrity and her cookbooks. You can see that from my 08/27/08 blog rant about Gooey Butter Cake. But, hey, different strokes for different folks, right?
Anyway, I’m so excited about my new cookbook (published in Oct. 2007) by a cookbook writer who has seriously earned my respect. I just had to share the info.
Jean Anderson is the woman who gave me all that great dining and travel advice when I was planning our 2007 trip to Portugal.
Even though she was busy working on this book A Love Affair with Southern Cooking, she graciously answered my many, many questions about Portugal.
Here is what I like about Jean Anderson as a cookbook author. The recipes in Jean’s books are researched, tested and re-tested BY HER, not by unnamed research staff who are the real talent behind the celebrity. She knows that the kind of reader she attracts likes to know the stories & history of great recipes. And she gives them to you.
She is a cookbook lovers’ writer and a solid journalist. She can write. If she wanted to write and adventure thriller, or the next sappy romance, rest assured they would be well written. She is also a cookbook writer’s advocate. She loves well written cookbooks — even if she didn’t write them herself. And she promotes other author’s cookbooks generously.
PLUS, she put an email I sent her about Caldo Verde on her website and it mentions SlowTrav & SlowTalk. So that’s very cool, too! Jean is working on a new cookbook now, and then in the fall she will be leaving the country for an assignment from Gourmet magazine. So, if any SlowTravelers find themselves in the same neighborhood — tell her hello and invite her to an impromptu GTG. 😀
Thanks for telling me about Jean Anderson – I have to admit I’d never heard of her before, but based on what you wrote and the info on her website, I think this cookbook might need to be in my kitchen! I do have one question tho – is this a new book or a re-release? All the promo stuff says it’s from 2007, so I’m confused!
Deborah responds: You’re right Barb. It was released on October 2007. I was planning our Portugal trip while Jean was in the thick of finishing up this book. So, I guess I lost track of it until we talked again a few weeks ago. So, I should have said “it is a book I just acquired.”
I never heard of her either but when I start cooking again, I’m going to check her books out – thanks for the tip.
Eh, too bad she doesn’t have a book on Scotland, huh?
You feel about the southern celebrity like I feel about RR. It hurts my ears to listen to her.
This sounds like a great cookbook – I love the cover.
Deborah, I could not believe my eyes when I saw you had bought this cookbook. When I got back from Charleston this past fall I promised my inlaws a home cooked southern meal. Although I had taken a cooking class and had recipes from that I felt I needed to be armed with additional recipes so I went on line and found rave reviews for Jean Andersons book. It is so “authentic” as the reviews raved so I bought it and love reading it not only for the recipes but for the wonderful stories. For ex: On one page she is talking about Harland Sanders selling his company to a group of investors and was to become the future Colonel Sanders of KFC. Then she goes on to talk about Selma Wilkes who bought an old boarding house in Savannah and turned it into the now famous Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House restaurant. Great reading. Glad to see you have a copy too!
Deborah responds: Barb, I’m thrilled that you are aware of Jean and her cookbooks. And, I’m glad you are as impressed with her writing as I am.