Synopses & Reviews
Folks in the Delta have a strong sense of community, and being dead is no impediment to belonging to it. Down South, they don't forget you when you've up and died--in fact, they visit you more often. But there are quintessential rules and rituals for kicking the bucket tastefully. Having a flawless funeral is one of them.
In this deliciously entertaining slice of Southern life (and death), inveterate hostess Gayden Metcalfe explains everything you need to know to host an authentic Southern funeral. Can you be properly buried without tomato aspic? Who prepares tastier funeral fare, the Episcopal ladies or the Methodist ladies? And what does one do when a family gets three sheets to the wind and eats the entire feast the night before a funeral?
Each chapter includes a delicious, tried-and-true Southern recipe, critical if you plan to die tastefully any time soon. Pickled Shrimp, Aunt Hebe's Coconut Cake, and the ubiquitous Bing Cherry Salad with Coca-Cola are among the many dishes guaranteed to make the next funeral the most satisfying one yet.
Even if you've never been south of Rochester, this book will charm, it will entertain, and it will give you all the ingredients required for the perfect Southern send-off.
Review
"If you want a good laugh in this uptight, power-obsessed city, pick up a copy of Being Dead Is No Excuse. And if you are a Southerner, you will laugh until the tears come." Washington Post
Review
"There are too few words and phrases to adequately describe this unique devil-take-the-hindmost approach to cooking and end-of-life ceremonies. Tongue in cheek? Maybe. Laugh-out-loud narrative? Definitely. Plus, an extraordinary combination of ingredients (it is a cookbook, after all)." Booklist
Synopsis
Nestled deep in the South is a tiny Academy that teaches classes in the most important subject in the world: the domestic arts. The Academyand#8217;s unique curriculum includes everything from cocktail-party etiquette to business entertaining, dealing with household guests, and cooking for the holidays. Here, after a little gentle instruction from Deans Pollak and Manigault, interspersed with plenty of humor, students find they are living healthier, having stronger ties to friends and family, and using their houses to branch out in ways they never dreamed possible. Since not everyone can get to their sold-out classes in Charleston, the Deans are now offering this book so happier livand#173;ing can be within everyoneand#8217;s grasp, not just the select few.
About the Author
Suzanne Pollak is the author of Entertaining for Dummies and The Pat Conroy Cookbook. She was the spokesperson for Federated Department Stores, giving seminars on home decorating, entertaining, and cooking for many years. Lee Manigault lives in one of the grand 18th-century Charleston homes and hosts an array of activities there.