exploring books | COME ON OVER!
The Everyday Special By Jan Risher Photography courtesy of Angie Mosier
Elizabeth Heiskell encourages her cookbook readers to celebrate each day — including those football weekends — and offers unique Southern recipes to complement tailgating events. A quick conversation with Elizabeth Heiskell is all the proof one needs to know that in her world, every day is indeed a party. Her new cookbook, “Come on Over: Southern Delicious for Every Day,” oozes charm and captures her festive spirit. “The whole premise of this book is to encourage people to celebrate every day,” Heiskell says. “Why not celebrate every day? Even a Wednesday should be celebrated.” Heiskell has divided her new cookbook’s recipes into nine sections of food for themed days — weekdays, party days, Delta days, summer days, beach days, game days, school days, diet days, and cheat days. Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Heiskell started her culinary journey at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. She then worked her way to lead culinary instructor at the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, Miss., at the headquarters of the Viking Range Corporation. In 2011, she moved from the Delta to Oxford, Miss., where she manages her catering company. In addition, she and her husband, Luke, run Woodson Ridge Farm with a little help from their three girls. Heiskell says during the worst of the pandemic and 28 DeSoto
Come On Over: Elizabeth Heiskell’s latest cookbook i “Come on Over: Southern Delicious for Every Day.”
quarantine, she and her husband took the catering company back to its roots. “We changed our focus very quickly. We went to back to what we did when we started: a meal delivery service,” Heiskell says. “We delivered to Memphis and Oxford two days a week and continued to do that until the world opened back up. These days, we are as busy as we’ve ever been” This fall, Heiskell says she and her team are excited about celebrating events large and small, Mississippi style. “On game days in Oxford, we do it to a whole different level,” Heiskell says. “However, I believe every football game should be celebrated, not just the ones in the Grove. Around here, whether we are tailgating for football, baseball or anything else, it’s definitely an art.” Heiskell offers six tips for improving your next tailgating experience: 1. Make sure the food is easy to hold. “You’re going to have a drink in one hand and need to be able to reach something else with the other,” she said, recommending the PB&J chicken wings featured in “Come on
