If there’s one thing the Deep South appreciates it’s good food. So the Friends of the Columbus-Lowndes Library and the Hitching Lot Farmers’ Market are teaming up to present a series of insightful talks on the topic each Wednesday in June for Table Talk: A Casual Visit with Books.
Cookbook authors Katy Smith Houston, Susan Puckett and Marisa Baggett join Nancy Woodruff and Marion Sansing of the Mississippi Modern Homestead Center this month to talk of delectable desserts, Delta cuisine, sushi for the home cook, and how to put a new spin on our old-fashioned approach to the food we eat.
Table Talk didn’t have to look far to tap into this culinary expertise. Although they currently live outside the Golden Triangle, Houston and Puckett grew up in Columbus; Baggett operated an eatery in Starkville. Woodruff and Sansing are area residents and conduct food and nutrition workshops at the Homestead in Starkville.
Wednesday launch
The June series begins Wednesday with Katy Smith Houston of Ridgeland. Houston’s unique cookbook, “Sweetness Follows: The Story of Sam and the Treat of the Week,” is more than a beautifully-photographed collection of dessert recipes. It’s also a celebration of Sam Lane, a special young man who overcame traumatic brain injury — and of Houston’s commitment to deliver a homemade dessert to his family every Monday for 62 weeks during his recovery.
“Katy’s been a sweetheart as long as I’ve known her,” said Friends of the Library President Jo Shumake, a former classmate of Houston’s. “It doesn’t surprise me she’s written a book of great desserts. The recipes in this collection are mouth-watering, and they come from the heart.”
Mark the calendar
Other Table Talk dates and speakers are:
n June 12 – Susan Puckett talks of her cookbook, “Eat Drink Delta: A Hungry Traveler’s Journey Through the Soul of the South.”
n June 19 – Marisa Baggett, author of “Sushi Secrets: Easy Recipes for the Home Cook,” shares how she went about putting her project together.
n June 26 – Nancy Woodruff and Marion Sansing review Sally Fannon’s book, “Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition an the Diet Dictocrats.”
Everyone is welcome to the free Table Talks at the library located at 314 Seventh St. N. Bring lunch at 11:30 a.m. to socialize. Iced tea will be provided. Talks are from noon to 1 p.m.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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