The Southerner's Handbook by Garden, Editors of -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Epigraph Contents Introduction: My Southern Education, by David DiBenedetto Part One: Food

Why Southern Food Matters (So Much), by John T. Edge Cast-Iron Care Perfect Fried Chicken Love Ya, Honey Big Bad Buttermilk Biscuits, by chef John Currence Supreme Sausage Gravy Great Grits The Ultimate Appetizer Where There’s Smoke . . . Boil Your Goobers Mind over Mollusk Okra, Meet Skillet Know Your Barbecue Sauces Wild for Ramps Top-Secret Fish Batter Essential Southern Cookbooks Do-It-Yourself Charcoal Queen Creole’s Roux The South’s Dessert A Mess of Greens Go Whole Hog, by Jack Hitt

Part Two: Style

Secrets of a Southern Hostess, by Julia Reed The Hard Truth about Cowboy Boots How to Behave Wear a Square Finger Salutes, by Donovan Webster Putting Pen to Paper How to Tell a Great Story, by Roy Blount, Jr. Party Like a Cajun Nice Hat, Pardner A Few Words about Seersucker Get Invited Back The Southern Woman’s Closet The Southern Man’s Closet Raise a Glass with Confidence Rock a Pair of White Bucks A Hat for the Derby The Art of Goodbye, by Donovan Webster

Part Three: Drink

Drink Like a Southerner, by Jonathan Miles New Orleans Classics Authentic Dixie Lemonade The Perfect Bar—and Why the South Has So Many of Them, by Guy Martin Raise Your Bar Have Punch, Will Party Sweet Tea: A Love Story, by Allison Glock A Sweet (Tea) Recipe Absinthe Resurrected The One and Only Mint Julep, by Jonathan Miles Bitters, Barbecued What Is Bourbon Anyway? Three Odes to Bourbon:

Sipping Whiskey, by Roy Blount, Jr. Respecting Reserve, by John T. Edge Proud to Drink American, by chef John Currence

Part Four: Sporting & Adventure

Wisdom of the Field, by Guy Martin Dove Moves Fall Off a Horse Tick Tricks Take Your Best Shot, by David E. Petzal Trout of the South Old Blade, New Bite Be a Better Derby Bettor Net Results The Fastest Way to Start a Fire Grab a Frog Our Natural Wonders River Camping The Bluegill Moon Throw a Rope For the Bird-Watchers Wrestle an Alligator The Secrets to a Great (Gun) Dog A Bassmaster’s Secret Weapon Close-Quarter Casts Handling Snakes Southern Sporting Dogs Catch and Pick a Blue Crab How to Talk to a Game Warden Rules of the Road Trip, by Daniel Wallace

Part Five: Home & Garden

In Praise of the Southern Garden, by Robert Hicks Shades of the South Raising Yardbirds A Taste for Heirlooms The Perfect Tomato The Five-Minute Guide to Collecting Memories of a Southern Home, by Dominique Browning The Year-Round Cutting Garden Stocking Your Home Library Rope Swing 101 Eat Your Kudzu How to Make Tabby A Southern Wreath Silver with a Proper Shine An Herb Garden with Southern Roots Man vs. Weed, by Roy Blount, Jr.

Part Six: Arts & Culture

The Art of Place, by Allison Glock Southernisms, by Daniel Wallace Ten Lively Expressions Songs of the South, by Donovan Webster Five Essential Venues Dance Like a Cowboy The Church of Southern Football The Crowded Canon of the South, by Hal Espen The Truth about Robert Johnson and the Devil, by Ace Atkins How to Talk Faulkner Southern Dialects Mardi Gras Like a Local Instructions in the Blues The Brilliance of Southern Folk Art, by Ace Atkins and Angela Moore Atkins Make a Diddley Bow The Great Southern Novel, by Daniel Wallace

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