Mrs. Whaley Entertains: Advice, Opinions, and 100 Recipes from a Charleston Kitchen

by Emily Whaley

When Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden came out in spring 1997, it took the gardening world by storm.You didn't think she'd keep the rest of her strong opinions to herself, did you? Not on your life. She's back, with her other favorite hobby--cooking delicious meals. And she's just as "quotable" as ever: "If the hostess is all a-flutter like a butterfly caught in a net--then, as the Irish say, 'I wish I was to home and the party was to hell.'" Don't serve guests' dishes "you haven't made successfully two or three times--and quite lately." And after supper, "Leave the dishes on the table, blow out the candles, shut the door and serve finger desserts and coffee in another room . . . do not let your guests help you clean up!" In addition to advice, Mrs. Whaley has opened her personal scrapbook of receipts and selected one hundred of her favorites, including regional delectables like "Edisto Shrimp Pie," great dinner dishes like "Louisa Hagood's Ginger Chicken" and "Miss Em's Pork Tenderloin," old-fashioned breakfast breads like "Nan's Little Thin Corn Cakes," and true discoveries like "Dancing School Fudge." Just as he did in their first acclaimed, best-selling collaboration, novelist William Baldwin perfectly captures the octogenarian cadence: "Inviting people to break bread with me challenges my skills at cooking and fielding a congenial gathering of people. And I love a challenge."

Genres: Food, Memoir

292 pages, Hardcover

First published January 10, 1998

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

In many ways this book was fun, a look into "how the other 5% lives." Grand dame Emily Wheatley of Charleston was a famous gardener and hostess; I hesitate to say cook because she apparently employed a lot of help. I enjoyed the section where the family decamps to the North Carolina mountains during the summer's heat and the description of the family breakfast with a cook in the kitchen and two dining room servants. The excerpt on how to give a house party was equally entertaining. Half the book was recipes, and I think a number of them were out of date. How often does one find a 5-7lb roasting chicken in our stores these days? I suspect I could make lots more yummy recipes if I had someone in the kitchen doing most of the work.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved her personal stories. I wanted to try out her recipes but just didn’t get to it before I had to return the book. Maybe if I really knew how good they were.

[amy l swann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such entertaining reading! Mrs. Whaley takes you back to a different time and it is a marvelous trip.
The recipes are the icing on the Baltimore Cake!

[Darcee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and funny little read. Good recipes in the back ! Have to go to Charleston now !!

[Elizabeth Van Tassel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I wish I'd known Mrs. Whaley! I love her books and they encourage me to enjoy the simplicity of making a meal, preparing for company, and the beauty of a simple lifestyle accented with grace. My favorite tip of hers is getting everything ready well in advance of a guest's arrival or a dinner party, although I admit with kids under foot that's a bit more rare now. Still, I love to enjoy the moment rather than be glued to the oven when I entertain. Her sense of elegance is beautiful, too. You will enjoy this small but gracious book.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many recipes to try, especially curious about the thin, cornmeal pancakes that she ate as a child, her shrimp and hominy, the Lady Baltimore cake and the White Mountain icing.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book filled with the slow southern way of life and cooking!

[Kathleen Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming with a Southern flair. Would love to be a guest of hers!