My heartfelt appreciation to the family and friends who served as fodder for the essays in this book, whether they know it or not. To Bryan Curtis, my gratitude for hanging on to my phone number all those years; and to Patsy Caldwell, my admiration for reminding me what it means to be Southern.
Amy Lyles Wilson
I have always considered it a blessing to be able to not only cook for the nourishment of my family and friends, but also that I was able to do so professionally for more than forty years.
As the youngest of nine children, I am thankful to my brothers and sisters, their spouses and children. I come from a family of wonderful cooks, and some of the best recipes in this book come from my family. Three of my nieces, Roberta Tidwell, Jan Metcalf, and Donna Allen have been especially inspiring to me and have contributed to my love of cooking. My cousin Tom Allen has always believed in me and always pays an unbelievable price for my coconut cakes at various fund-raisers.
In my professional life I was blessed to have been able to cook for tens of thousands of appreciative people. To the fine people at the Dickson County Board of Education and Ingram Industries, I offer my sincere thanks for your kind words and encouragement. A special thanks goes to Christine Steele, Noah Daniel, Rhonda Cook, Joann Holder, Robert Hardin, and the entire Ingram family, especially Martha Ingram and the late E. Bronson Ingram. From the beginning, my biggest supporter has probably been Betty Lou Wolcott. She was the first person to ever hire me to cater a party and remains one of the classiest Southern women I have had the good fortune to know.
A final word of thanks to some very special friends. John Egerton, for inspiring me with his writing about Southern food. Jean Smith, the best neighbor and taster anyone could hope for. Mike, Jamie, and Claire Monroe Sims, for allowing me to be such a part of their lives. Luanne and Ronny Greer for offering support in every way you can possibly imagine it. And to my new friend Amy Lyles Wilson, I have so loved working with you on this project. To all the good people of Charlotte, Tennessee, I thank you for your love and support. And finally to the women of the Water Tower Cooking Class: Donna Brown, Sue Drinnen, Betsy Duke, Cynthia Marvin, Judy Nicks, Judy Redden, Betty Nicks Smith, Sue Smith, Gay Taylor, and especially Sara Caudill. Thank you for your friendship and allowing me to share my love of cooking with you.
Bless your hearts,
Patsy Caldwell