First of all, the author isn’t THAT Fred Thompson. While the former senator and actor is a man of many talents, this book is by a different Fred Thompson. This Fred Thompson is a travel, food, and wine writer who also does a food column for the Raleigh News and Observer.
When I was growing up, the traditional meal was “meat and three,” meaning a main meat dish and then three side vegetable dishes plus bread and dessert. The vegetables were just as important as the main dish and just as delicious. In fact, I tended to prefer the sides, so Fred Thompson’s Southern Sides could have been written just for me. Not only is it chock full of delicious sounding recipes featuring ingredients I love, but a lot of them are variations on familiar recipes that I already know I like. Even better, Thompson is a cook who encourages people to tweak recipes and adjust them according to taste and occasion. And they’re easy! This is the real selling point for me, because I know I’m not going to attempt a 37-step casserole, no matter how good it sounds. Fred says, “While I try to eat logically, locally, and sustainably, canned mushroom soup, Velveeta cheese, and Miracle Whip cannot be ignored when it comes to the great dishes of the South.”
This is my kind of cook.
Fred does say that while Southern food tends to favor bacon, bacon grease and bacon drippings, he does occasionally offer alternatives. He also admits to having had a heart attack. Some of the recipes are similar to ones I know, but with intriguing little tweaks. For example, there’s a deviled egg recipe which calls for sweet pickle juice to notch up the flavor and for baked potatoes he suggests greasing the outside with Crisco, lard or bacon fat and rolling it in salt and pepper before baking. Best of all, many are staple recipes, from baked beans to mashed potatoes to red beans and rice. And the additions seem like no-brainers. I think my favorite is the roasted acorn squash which he’s simplified and uplifted: he gives you instructions for microwaving the squash and then broiling it for about four minutes with pecans and raisins. Is this not brilliant?
There are some that just sound like winners, such as sweet potato biscuits, and others that sound –well, odd—but Fred knows that and will reassure you. (Really, pimento cheese and buttermilk in mashed potatoes? I can’t decide if that sounds delicious or just weird. I may have to make this dish just to find out. Purely in the interest of science, of course.) Fred is generous with credit, listing his source for the recipe. Many are just ordinary folk, not professional cooks, though I did recognize the name of ETSU’s Fred Sauceman. Some recipes do come from restaurants, such as the Bean Soup from Greeneville’s Bean Barn.
Fred also has a sense of humor and he knows how to use it. In the comments on “Nick’s Squash Casserole,” which calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup, he says, “I’m sorry, but there’s just no way to make a good southern casserole without a can of soup, so swallow your pride and eat well.” (For some reason he has Roy Blount’s voice when he says that, but that’s probably because I’ve been hearing Mr. Blount on the radio lately.)
I’ve shown this book to two excellent cooks of my acquaintance and both times there have been exclamations of “Why didn’t I think of that!” or “Ooo, that sounds good!” or “That was my secret ingredient!” galore. I think it’s safe to say that we all three highly recommend this cookbook.
