Puttin' on the Grits: A Guide to Southern Entertaining

by Deborah Ford Narrated by Deborah Ford

Overview

Family and friends are the center of life in the South, and kitchens the center of Southern homes, so there is no better way to celebrate Southern traditions than a book on entertaining. From the heartfelt love in Grandma's dumplings to the stomping good fun at a hoedown, Southern entertaining is special. This book will help everyone to be as gracious, warm, and entertaining as Deborah Ford herself. She can't help sharing—it's the Southern way.

Puttin' on the Grits covers all the details of hosting festivities large and small. From mint juleps to charm lessons, Deborah reveals the colorful secrets behind why Southern women are such consummate hosts and captures the famous combination of elegance and wit that has become the GRITS calling card. Puttin' on the Grits even includes a discussion of how to be the kind of guest who gets invited back. Whether popping a cork or cracking open a six-pack, every hostess can now be the belle of the ball.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Ford, who calls herself a GRIT (Girl Raised In The South), wrote The GRITS Guide to Life, and like that work, this new book is a chatty mix of advice, anecdotes, trivia, jokes, quotes and (a few) recipes all aimed at explaining and upholding the standards of Southern party giving and party going. Never mind that it's hardly an original topic (witness books by Paula Deen, and Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays's recent Being Dead Is No Excuse). Ford dives headlong into giving advice on old school Southern hospitality, beginning with suggestions for parties celebrating Southern holidays like Elvis's Birthday and Derby Day. The Being a Good Hostess chapter suggests conversation starters and shares stories of famous Southern hostesses. Would-be party givers get hints on planning budgets, guest lists and menus and, on the big day, dealing with last-minute emergencies from food failures to stain removal (Rope in husband. Show him the spot. Repeat as necessary). The Being a Good Guest chapter advises on dressing properly, eating an artichoke, figuring out which silverware to use at a formal dinner and writing a thank-you note. Despite the book's attempt at imparting practical information, the narrative's tone is relentlessly sticky-sweet, with all too many silly jokes (the best way to thaw a turkey... blow in his ear). Agent, Peter McGuigan at Sanford Greenberger. (On sale Apr. 25) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

OCT/NOV 05 - AudioFile

Deborah Ford reads her second book, a follow-up to her 2003 bestseller, THE GRITS (Girls Raised In The South) GUIDE TO LIFE. It’s difficult to imagine that this entertainment guide will be as successful. Although Ford, a native Southerner, reads clearly with a genuine accent, the content of this sequel is decidedly thin. It seems unlikely that anyone, Southern or otherwise, is unaware of the basics of entertaining that Ford extols. Between her admonishments not to criticize one's husband in public and to wear clean clothes, she tosses in exaggerated "sugah's" and "dahlin's," which detract from her natural GRIT accent. Poor pacing and an air of exhaustion further diminish the narration. J.J.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940174038103
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	10/10/2004
Edition description:	Unabridged

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