Last night, after I turned off the computer and went to relax a while, I decided to read a book. Not one of Daniel Brown’s, or even John Grisham … I read Southern Ground, Recipes, Images, Lifestyle and Lore, from Zac Brown and Friends. On the cover, it says “Volume 1". And I really hope that means we are going to have a Volume 2 to look forward to in the very near future.
Keep in mind that I live in the south. And yet, I’ll be the first to admit I have never cooked Stone Stew with Boston Butt, or Cornbread Encrusted Gulf Black Grouper. And I have definitely never fixed Southern Black Eyed Pea Fritters. But you know what? Now if I want to, I have the recipe.
But this book, even with its removable recipe cards, isn’t just a cookbook. It’s a great read. One of the things Zac wrote is a little piece called Campfire Band, which is on the page next to the recipe for Campfire Filet Tip Chili. The first line of that two-paragraph story tells you pretty much what you can expect to find when you sit down to read this cookbook – Zac wrote “One of my favorite things in this world is the reflection of a campfire on the shellac surface of my dad’s guitar.”
The pictures on every page are great – you’ve got Zac and his family, scenes from big cities, little towns, and open highways. There are buildings, clouds, rainbows, and people. I love the tree – It’s just a lone tree under a cloud covered blue sky – next to a recipe for Brunswick Stew and a paragraph called The Making of a Man, by Coy Bowles.
You can order the cookbook from Cracker Barrel’s web site, the cost is $24.99. The book contains 27 recipes, on those removable index cards. along with the pictures, poems, songs and stories – both fact and lore.
Anyone out there who does their Christmas shopping all year long, will want to pick this gift up for the Zac Brown fan on their Christmas list. I enjoyed reading it – and now, I just might have to fix some Southern Fried Chicken for dinner tonight.
More later! Enjoy your Weekend!
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