THE SOUTHERN JUNIOR LEAGUE COOKBOOK

An outsized portion of Southern recipes (over 600) assembled from the local cookbooks of 29 Junior Leagues, Charleston to Dallas, Mobile to Memphis. Northerners beware! Much of the food will seem recklessly hot, sweet, or promiscuously spiced to the uninitiated. Accustomed to unembellished roast beef? Down South they like it with green peppercorns or a half-cup of crushed black pepper. And that's bland compared to some of the barbecue sauces. A unique selection of condiments features not only the traditional pickled peaches and watermelon rind, but such alarming items as horseradish jelly. The desserts are equally staggering--begin with the bread pudding and whiskey sauce and move on to the grasshopper pie and the banana caramel pie. Jean Hewitt's New York Times Southern Heritage Cookbook (1976) presents more recognizable Southern fare, but one gets the impression that Junior League hostesses are closer to what's actually served at those church suppers and outdoor galas.