I can’t wait to show you these next cookbooks. I’m super excited to have them!
First up, Bill Neal’s Southern Cooking:
You’re thinking…she’s already got this one. And you’re correct. I have another hardback and probably two softcover versions as well. But, it’s autographed and that’s the primary reason I snagged this one. Bill Neal isn’t with us anymore and I don’t want his legacy to be forgotten. In fact, remind me to do a deep dive on Bill Neal.
Here’s part of the inscription:
“Best wishes & hold on to this one!”
Well, they didn’t but I will.
Here’s one I never knew about until recently:
Savoring the South: Memories of Edna Lewis The Grande Dame of Southern Cooking with Recipes (Angela Mulloy). I ran across this one while checking the new inventory of my favorite used cookbook reseller on Etsy, CookbookRescueShop. Amongst her listings, she’ll have a spot for the cookbooks she’s currently reading. I clicked on it a few months back and saw this one featured.
The thing is, it stayed in that section for weeks and weeks! And if it ever moved to be purchased, then I missed it. A quick search on eBay found it and I purchased it there. Lots of info from Ms. Lewis’ niece, a history on her and memories about her from the author, Angela Mulloy.
It’s a cookbook with an eye towards seasonality and menus. I wonder how many more cookbooks are out there that had Lewis’ heavy involvement?
Speaking of the Grande Dame herself, I wanted to get a first edition of The Edna Lewis Cookbook by Ms. Lewis and Evangeline Peterson. I saw a listing on eBay and it had the correct cover image but missed it. After I had saved it on my Watch List, it was gone.
The next day, it was relisted and I swooped in and got it. How exciting!
About a week went by and it still had not arrived…now I’m worried. For the price I paid, you’d think they would sent it overnight. They did not.
After almost ten days, it finally arrived. And then I opened it.
This is not the first edition, first printing I paid quite a heavy price for…
This is, in fact, the 1983 printing.
So mad! Even though this is a very pristine copy.
I reached out to the vendor and explained that this was not the version they portrayed in the listing. They apologized and offered a partial refund if I wanted to keep what was sent. And, like I said, it was a pretty pristine copy so I took the reduced refund and kept it.
I’m still on the lookout for the original But only at a reasonable price.
And finally, I lucked up on seeing this copy of New Orleans Recipes by Mary Moore Bremer on eBay. This one is everywhere but it’s hard to find an early edition. This one is a fifth printing. It’s showing some wear and a lot of tear…but what got me was this hand-written recipe for Angel Food Pie on the first two pages.
It’s hard to read…but I wonder if I can decipher it…
More to come!