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THE RECIPE OF SOUTHERN HOLIDAYS: DISHING UP COOK & CELEBRATE WITH JOHNATHON SCOTT BARRETT

Written by Liesel J. Schmidt / Photography courtesy Jonathon Scott Barrett

A native Georgian who celebrates his heritage, Johnathon Scott Barrett is the embodiment of the Southern hospitality he was raised on, the consummate host whose skill at entertaining would do his mother and grandmother proud. In Cook & Celebrate, as in his previously published titles Rise & Shine and Cook & Tell, Barrett presents a collection of recipes—but within the mixture of ingredients, he offers the perfect accompaniment of a story or a memory that gives the recipe dimension and depth and brings it to life on the page. A charming narrative of some of the South’s most treasured—and well-shared—holiday recipes, Cook & Celebrate will educate, beguile, and make you wish you could meet the cast of characters in Barrett’s life to share a meal and celebrate a holiday.

Q : When did the idea for the book come about, and what was your vision for it?

A : The idea came while on the speaking tour for my second work, Cook & Tell. At each stop, attendees shared that much of their favorite food memories were from holidays and special occasions, which prompted me to compose this story and recipe collection. Through Cook & Celebrate, I hope readers will be prompted to recall those delicious times that have made their own lives so very special.

Q : How did you choose which recipes to include?

A : I chose them in two ways. First, I outlined the chapters I wanted to include in the book, and then partially filled those sec- tions with cherished dishes from my personal culinary repertoire.

Q : Was it difficult to collect all of them?

A : I reached out through social media and asked Facebook and Instagram friends to send me suggestions from their own treasured holiday and party delicacies, and to share why those items held prized spots on their tables.

Q : What was your favorite aspect of writing the book?

A : The book tour after publication. I dearly love visiting different cities and towns across the South. In each stop, from Fairhope to Atlanta to Savannah, I’ve had the chance to make new friends—and give big hugs to the old ones.

Q : What was the most challenging thing about writing it?

A : The most difficult part was deciding what worthy recipes and stories could not be included in Cook & Celebrate. As with most books, this one was limited to a certain number of pages by the publisher, meaning many items had to be set aside. In the preface, I write: “Apologies in advance if a dish that you firmly believe should have been here in print was not among the mix.”

Q : Do you have a particular favorite recipe/memory in the book?

A : My friend Nella’s memorable Christmas season story about rushing home from school, full of excitement, on “the day”, to make divinity candy with her late Mother.

Q : If you could leave people with ONE recipe to remember you by, what would it be?

A : My family’s cornbread dressing, which, in turn, would also recall remembrances of my mother and maternal grandmother, Ninnie.

Q : How did you come to the realization that food is such an important part of Southern culture?

A : I was born into a family and small town where good food was a way of relating and interacting with others. Food was the common denominator in life for all reasons. A gift of a cake, or basket of fried chicken, could express joy, grief, friendship, love…It just depended on the occasion in which it was given.

Q : How long did it take to write the book?

A : It took almost two years. I also work full time as a major gift officer for the University of Georgia, so my writing takes place at night and over weekends.

Q : You seem to be the consummate host...Where do you think you got that?

A : It is wired within my DNA as a seventh-generation Georgian, and then reinforced with lessons from my parents and my nannie, Carrie. My Emergenetics personality profile shows almost equally half Sociability and the other Structure—which means I know how to throw a wonderfully fun party that starts on time and stays within a budget!

Q : If you could host a dinner party for any ten people, who would you invite, and why?

A : Many Southerners, being solid in their faith, would include

Jesus Christ. And while I’m a devout Episcopalian, I figure—being 59 years old—that I’m going to get to meet the Good Lord in the not-too-distant future, so I’ll save that seat for someone else. And for this answer here, we’re going to have to put a leaf in the dining table and pull up two extra chairs, because I’d need room for twelve to invite all my relatives, those wonderful folks who raised me, that have now gone on to their greater rewards in Heaven. I’d fix a big buffet serving all their favorites, such as fried catfish and hot buttered biscuits with cane syrup for my mama and daddy, and a lemon meringue pie for Aunt Beatrice.

Q : Why do you think Southerners hold onto the traditions that we have—the gatherings, the celebrations, the holidays?

A : I am no cultural historian, so I can only give an educated guess in that the South continues to live up to its stereotypic reputation as being hospitable. What started out two hundred years ago within what was then an agrarian and sparsely populated region has transcended class and race. Hospitality is still, in contemporary times, an integral part of our identity. And some of the best ways to showcase that love of people, company, comradery, and food is through those traditions of gatherings, celebrations, and holidays.

Q : Do you have a favorite holiday? Which one and why?

A : By far, my favorite is Christmas, which I start celebrating the (continued on next page)