EDITOR’S NOTE

EXTRAS | EDITOR’S NOTE

The spice of life

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

Most every Southerner has a particular method to their bloody marys. Some like them spicy, with Zing Zang mix and glugs of Tabasco, while others prefer plain old tomato juice and nothing more. Some restaurants today want the rim of the glass to be overflowing with a complete buffet of meats, cheeses and vegetables; a straw definitely required there. And some folks only need a lemon, lime and celery stalk — the classic garnishes.

Now, on to the next question: When are they best consumed? Sometimes on Christmas morning, although I still prefer milk punch. Always at Mardi Gras, with Joe Cain Day as the prime suspect. And don’t forget Easter brunch, which is just around the corner. Bloody marys, deviled eggs and decadent pastries sound like the perfect post-Easter-egg-hunt repast to me.

Some families have an even more specific tradition with the tomato libation. Our senior writer, Breck Pappas, who has long entertained MB readers with stories and interviews, recently told me about the drink’s place in his family lore. “For my grandparents,” he says, “Sundays meant bloody marys. My grandmother, Mama Jo, was the organist at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Enterprise, Alabama. Every Sunday, while Mama Jo sat behind the organ, my grandfather would receive communion, then slip out before the processional hymn. He’d drive home, mix two bloody marys and somehow drive back to church without spilling the drinks all over the seats. By the time church ended and the congregation had gathered outside for their Sunday gossip, Baba was there to greet the organist with a celerygarnished bloody mary.”

I don’t know if that’s true Southern hospitality or just true love, but it’s a weekly tradition we could get behind if it weren’t for those open container laws.

And while there is truly no real reason to mess with a classic, you have to admit, it can be fun. So in this, our annual Entertaining Issue, we shopped both sides of the Bay for all the unexpected fixings you never knew your bloody mary needed, with flavors that surprise and thrill (and often kick, too!).

I’m always delighted — but never truly surprised — by Southern hospitality. Sharing food and drink while welcoming our neighbor just runs in our blood. This issue features recipes, insights and perhaps some new ideas to help you perfect this Southern art and meet every entertaining opportunity with aplomb. And whatever shape your hosting takes, remember to do it with your own distinct flourish — and garnish.

Maggie Lacey

EXECUTIVE EDITOR maggie@pmtpublishing.com

WIGGLE ROOM WHILE THESE DAYS YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO SEE THESE COPPER MOLDS HANGING ON WALLS THAN FORMING PERFECT SEAFOOD JELLIES, IT’S TIME I TRY MY HAND. MAYBE I’LL START WITH A CONGEALED FRUIT SALAD BEFORE MOVING ON TO THINGS MORE SAVORY? THE KIDS ARE SURE TO REVOLT.

LOVE THIS ISSUE

PUCKER UP THIS MONTH WE TOURED THE FAIRHOPE HOME OF ART APPRAISER AND HOSTESS EXTRAORDINAIRE AMANDA WINSTEAD. SHE TELLS ME SHE MAKES A MEAN LIMONCELLO FROM SCRATCH WITH HER LOUISIANA MEYER LEMONS, SO I AM PLANNING MY RETURN VISIT!

HAPPINESS IN A JAR EVERY SOUTHERN BAR WORTH ITS SALT SHOULD HAVE PICKLED OKRA WAITING FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF BLOODY MARYS. WE HAVE TONS MORE IDEAS FOR THE TOMATO TIPPLE. PAGE 19

CHAR-CUTE-ERIE I MEAN, COME ON. THESE ARE TOO CUTE TO PASS UP. TURN TO PAGE 24 FOR MORE CHARCUTERIE GOODNESS. EARRINGS, BAUBLEBAR.COM

SWEET TOOTH WE SOUTHERNERS LOVE A COKE SO MUCH, WE PUT IT IN OUR CAKES! I’M TOLD THE CARBONATION IN COLA ADDS LIFT TO A CAKE AS WELL AS

SWEETNESS, SO THERE’S ALSO THAT. PAGE 30

WOMEN IN MINISTRY WE ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO SEE A MAN IN A CLERICAL COLLAR IN THE DEEP SOUTH, SO WE ESPECIALLY ENJOYED SITTING DOWN WITH SOME OF THE BAY AREA’S FEMALE CLERGY THIS MONTH FOR AN UPLIFTING CHAT, JUST IN TIME FOR EASTER. PAGE 32