Julia Reed's South: Spirited Entertaining and High-Style Fun All Year Long

by Julia Reed, Paul Costello (Photographs)

No one embodies the rollicking spirit of great Southern party giving more than Julia Reed, the consummate hostess and go-to food and lifestyle expert.
 
Thrown everywhere from lush gardens and gracious interior spaces to a Mississippi River sandbar, Julia Reed’s parties capture the celebratory nature of entertaining in her native South. Here, her informative and down-to-earth guide to throwing an unforgettable party includes secrets she has collected over a lifetime of entertaining.
 
For this book, she offers up a feast of options for holiday cocktails, spring lunches, formal dinners, and even a hunt breakfast. Eleven seasonal events feature delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes, ranging from fried chicken to Charlotte Russe and signature cocktails or wine-pairings—she introduces her talented friends (rum makers, potters, fabric designers, bakers) along the way. Each occasion includes gorgeous photographs showing her original approach to everything—from invitations and setting a table to arranging flowers and creating the mood. Reed also provides practical considerations and sources. This irresistible book is the ultimate primer for every party-giver.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2016

About the author

Julia Reed was born in Greenville, Mississippi, in 1960. She went to the Madeira School for Girls at age sixteen near McLean, Virginia. She began taking classes at Georgetown University but then transferred to and graduated from American University.

She started working at Newsweek magazine as an intern in 1977 and went on to become Contributing Editor and columnist. She was contributing editor and senior writer at Vogue for twenty years. She is a Contributing Editor at Elle Magazine and at Garden and Gun Magazine (for which she also writes a column). She also writes articles for the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and the Wall Street Journal.

Well known as a humorist and a “master of the art of eating, drinking, and making merry,” according to her publisher, her books include One Man’s Folly: The Exceptional Houses of Furlow Gatewood (2014), But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria! Adventures in Eating, Drinking, and Making Merry (Apr 30, 2013), New Orleans, New Elegance (2012) with Kerri McCaffety, Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes) (Apr 28, 2009), The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story (2008) and Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena (2005)

Reviews

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book, Julia Reed’s South: Spirited Entertaining and High-Style Fun All Year Long. While I grew up in the American Southwest, my heart for many years has also been in the American South, and the Mississippi Delta being one of my favorites for its history, its food and its music. And in the words of Julia Reed as she talks of her home in Greenville, Mississippi:

“The Delta was a wild and uninhabited place until well into the nineteenth century. Greenville has been all but wiped out twice by floods and once by the Union army. We still bear the mark of our rough-and-tumble history and remain at the mercy of the land and the river. If there’s a lesson we’ve learned, it’s that life is short. There’s joy to be had. You just need to summon the willingness to find it. So make some cocktails, heat up the cheese dreams, and phone up your friends and neighbors.”

As the cover of my book says so beautifully, “Thrown everywhere from lush gardens and gracious interior spaces to a Mississippi River sandbar, Julia Reed’s parties capture the celebratory nature of entertaining in her native South. Here, her informative and down-to-earth guide to throwing an unforgettable party includes secrets she has collected over a lifetime of entertaining.”

And it must be said that another beautiful aspect of this lovely book is the beautiful photography by Paul Costello. From the holiday parties to spring luncheons to formal dinners are beautifully portrayed from the beautiful table settings and flowers to the cocktails and delicious foods and wines that are featured in these eleven seasonal celebrations. There were exciting recipes including Creole Crab Soup, Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb, Mock Cheese Soufflé, Grilled Deviled Crab & Cheese Sandwiches, Okra Fritters with Sriracha Mayonnaise, Summer Squash Casserole, Oysters Rockefeller, Bruschetta with Fig Relish & Burrata, Almond Buttermilk Shortcakes with Peaches Poached in Red Wine, New Potatoes with Garlic and Mint, Mushroom Bread Pudding, and Salad of Butter Lettuce, Peas, and Herbs. And then there are the beautiful playlists of Mississippi Delta music to accompany these celebrations. This is a beautiful book to have among your cookbooks.

[Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read every book Julia Reed has written and have loved each and every one. This, though, is my new Bible for entertaining. It is filled with wonderful recipes and party ideas. The photographs are lovely and as usual the writing is fun and hilarious! Thanks again, Julia!

[susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never met Julia, but I am from the Mississippi Delta. I was educated in Virginia and now live in Eastern North Carolina. Since I am a Mississippi Delta Lady, I entertain often. This book is one of my top 5 cookbooks. I Love how Julia suggests a cocktail for each dinner menu. Choosing a cocktail is often the hardest part! Julia also suggests place settings, flowers, background history and other suggestions. I love how she mentions other people from the Mississippi Delta who have made a name for themselves. While reading the book, I purchased all of Eden Brent's albums, marked several places to go on my annual July NOLA trip and other places to go when I return to the Delta to visit. I marked over 21 recipes to test and I am sure I will include many in upcoming parties at my home. Thank you Julia.

[Maureen Flatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best yet from my favorite writer about food, style and all things Southern! A must for anyone who cares passionately about food and entertaining!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars because this is a pretty book that would look good on display in your kitchen and more than a few scrumptious recipes I plan on trying. But I have to say that I found this book a little annoying. Ms. Reed does quite a bit of name dropping about her fancy friends. It struck me as a bit pretentious.
The book is divided into party themes with complete menus and notes on table settings. There is even a menu for a visiting dignitary party which I’m sure happens quite a bit jus not at my house!

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Julia Reed entertains well. She has beautiful dishware and old recipes borrowed and adapted from family and friends. She has a lot of friends in high places - she will tell you all about them! She will also wax nostalgic on a whitewashed south. Isn't it so munificent that Thomas Jefferson had his slave chef trained in Paris! With real French people!

There are some pretty pictures here but Julia Reed is so far up her own ass, I think you could find similar recipes elsewhere without the name dropping and racism by omission. Try just about any New Orleans cookbook, for example.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding - - great writing, good recipes and a joyous celebration of life, food and drink!

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photography and with Julia Reed's wry storytelling around each recipe, they were a delight to read whether I'll cook anything in the book or not!

[LMTZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful photos. Recipes. Showing how the "well-to-do" Southern entertains. Nothing here for me

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is all the rage at the public library as I was #24 on the HOLD list for it. I am glad I didn't shell out $50 for it even though at first I was tempted for the okra fritter recipe alone. The more I read the more I realized about Julia Reed's writing: the recipes are easy, the name-dropping continues. Most of the recipes are remixes of things that I have made in the past just with a longer pedigree and more interesting Southern Celebrity sighting. I can firmly say that I will never make a horseradish mousse but who is to say that you won't? Lots of pretty pictures of fancy people with fancy food. While I usually like recipe and party-planning books that create a party menu for me I wasn't that inspired to rustle up an antebellum mansion and shoot some ducks. I will be making her Cheese Dreams and mushroom bread pudding though.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't wait to try the chess pie squares.

[Kerry]

Not Interested in Reading

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok...so I am NEVER going to cook any of these recipes because of the high falutin' ingredients but it doesn't matter...I loved this recipe/ southern lifestyle book. It is just such a delight to look at how "the other half" / cool folks dine in the south.