Mississippi Delta

Here, on the eve of my departure from New Orleans to head back to the mountains and home, I'm realizing that book tour really is very similar to band tour. Duncan often affectionately refers to my book and various other extracurricular pursuits as my "band," and, while I've never actually been in a touring rock band, I imagine that life on band tour is very much like mine has been this past week. I've had many meals consisting of bad coffee, sour cream & onion potato chips and beef jerky, and listened to more than my share of christian radio in the bible belt. I've also made it through hours of driving listening to some of the best country stations I've ever heard- old songs I haven't heard in decades, played by warm and interesting DJs who truly love the music. I've felt addled from driving long stretches through miles of cotton fields and small towns, and felt joyful from the oases of welcome at my gigs in between. Touring can also be lonely and taxing, and I'll be glad to get home to my boys, but in the meantime I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to visit some of my favorite places, meet new friends and old, and share this book, so long in the making, with them. My first stop was Oxford, Mississippi, at the beloved institution Square Books.

I had first been to Square Books in Oxford when I was in high school, because my brother went to school at Ole Miss. I loved that bookstore immediately. Later I returned to Square Books on a road trip with my friend Elliott, and now I was there as an author. That felt really good, and it made me think about the importance of bookstores in the life of a town. So just a little side note about buying local: local bookstores are in peril right now due to the rise of internet book sales and electronic book readers. While these things are an inevitable and sometimes useful aspect of technology, please remember that, like buying food locally, buying books locally is an investment in the health and well-being of your community. And even though, like local food, local bookstores can be more expensive than big box alternatives, that is because when you source locally, you are paying closer to the true value of the item, rather than having the burden of the true cost invisibly passed off to other communities or workers. At any rate, we had a wonderful event at Square books. The owner, Lyn (on the far right in the picture below) was gracious and very helpful with my first official bookstore signing. I met a lovely young woman named Jane (second from the left) who came to meet me and wrote about it on her cake blog. Highlights include the compare/contrast between myself and Paula Deen, where she deems me to be cooler. She also later tried her hand at Mary Moon's Fresh Coconut Cake, and blogged about that, too. She had some wonderful things to say about food and community, and her blog is a very ambitious attempt to bake 99 different cakes, and blog about it, in one year.

The woman on the far left was a student at Ole Miss who interviewed me for her class.

Also in attendance was my new friend Ace Atkins, a writer of Southern mystery novels, and also my dear friend Carrie-Welles' cousin (the South is truly like one big small town). We had a great time, and he gave me some advice on the writing life, and alot of good words about the Cake Ladies book.

After that, I hightailed it to Natchez, Mississippi, a very quiet town on the Mississippi River. My wonderful friend Mindy's wonderful Mom owns this wonderful bookstore there, Turning Pages Books. She made some cakes for the signing!

Then, there was New Orleans. I arrived at the home of Cake Lady Elyse Manning, also my BFF. Elyse's house is like a home away from home for me, and I felt so happy to be there. She is truly a woman after my own heart: on every surface there are stacks of books like this:

Elyse is now working at the fabulous Satsuma Cafe in the Bywater, which is funny because I wrote the entire Elyse chapter of Cake Ladies while drinking coffee in the Satsuma, before she worked there. By happy accident, there happened to be other houseguests at Elyse's house this weekend: Justin and Nick of the Compass Green Project rolled up about an hour after I did, and we became fast friends. These guys, originally from Iowa, are travelling the country in their bio-diesel truck with a greenhouse on the back, teaching school groups an others about bio-intensive agriculture.

So, while Justin and Nick provided us for the weekend with ample tomatoes, herbs, peppers, and composting facilities from their truck, we taught them to bake. Saturday morning, Nick and I baked two pineapple upside down cakes for the book signing that day at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, while Elyse made a Myer Lemon and Dark Chocolate Trifle, AKA a Gold and Black Whodat Saints Trifle! I had so much fun teaching my friend how to bake. Here's a link to my recipe (even though we baked the one from the book).

And here is Nick, triumphant with his first-ever cake from scratch:

And then we went to the signing, which was the culmination of this trip. Michele Burton-Oatis and Melissa Woods, the Cupcake Fairies featured in the book, were there with many family members and friends.

We had a wonderful day. It was so great to see these women, whom I have come to love, thriving so beautifully with their business and their families. It was great to be in New Orleans, and it was great to eat these exceptional cakes. It was wonderful to introduce this book, which I love and believe in, to folks that had never seen it. And, the presence of a flasher exposing himself in the back of the museum notwithstanding (this is New Orleans, after all) we all had a great time. I love this city, and I always find it hard to leave. I love the people, I love the food, I love the landscape. I love the ladies that go to brunch on Sunday dressed in gold lame in honor of the Saints. (and I love that every business has a sign telling customers to "be nice or leave").

I love kids who love cake:

and I love being here, and I love this book that has made it all possible. And now I get to go home, to a life that I love, and I feel grateful.

Cedar Grove Pig Pickin: Cake, Music, and Homemade Love.

This is Keri. Keri and I were freshman college roommates at the University of Georgia. 17 years later, we are still best friends, and our children are like cousins to each other. Last year, due to a long, complicated, and of course very serendipitous turn of events, I met the Cake Lady Betty Compton through Keri and friends at the Anatoth Community Garden in Cedar Grove, NC.

Last night, I returned to Cedar Grove, for a book signing I had scheduled to take place at the garden. I got to reconnect with old friends, like Meghan (pictured below) and I sold and signed copies of the book, both of which I expected.

What I didn't expect, however, is what an amazing event the community would come together to create. Completely unbeknownst to me, Betty's family and community was so excited that she was featured in the book, that they took my little book signing in the garden and turned it into a full-blown, country-style Pig-Pickin', Cake-Walkin', dance party. Betty brought her famous pound cake:

And eight other people brought cake for the cake walk, like this one, which was later won (and eaten) by Keri's son, who graciously shared it with the rest of his family, me, and Jasper.

The music group that Betty has been playing and singing with for the last 10 years, "Pickin' and Grinnin,'" not only provided the musical accompaniment to the cake walk, but they delighted everyone with their renditions of songs by Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and other traditional country and bluegrass artists. Betty herself, even though she was the guest of honor, managed to find time to sit in on a few songs.

And then there was the pig.

Betty's husband, Dwight, bought a whole pig, and her son roasted it, starting at 5am yesterday morning. Betty's sisters made the two hour drive from Nash County to be there. Friends and family brought side dishes: all manner of baked beans, breads, banana pudding, green beans, mashed potatoes, macaroni salad, green salad. It was nothing short of an extravagant feast, and it was delicious. I was absolutely blown away by the generosity of each and every individual that gave to this event, and it reminded me of some of the wisdom I had learned from Betty: "when you are in a community, you know each other's gifts, you wrap around each other's gifts." From the set-up, to the eating, dancing, celebrating, cake-walking, and clean-up, there was a natural and spontaneous sense of that wrapping around each other's gifts, and the responsibility was shared, and therefore lightened, by everybody. In this time of social and political uncertainty, dare i say, upheaval, I was struck by how the simple act of creating fun and celebration with your own head and heart, and the things and the relationships you have available to you, can create a richness that money can never buy. I think this is sustainability in its highest sense, and I think it is healing. The garden has a history of this healing; as Anathoth's website explains: "The story of Anathoth Community Garden began in 2005 after a murder occurred down the road from the Garden site. Cedar Grove United Methodist Church held a prayer vigil for healing and peace at the site of the murder. Mrs. Scenobia Taylor was present at the vigil and had a vision that she was to donate 5 acres of her land to the church for the healing of the community." This has become what Anathoth is today, and I experienced a little bit of that healing last night. Thank you to keri, Betty, Dwight, Anathoth, and the community of Cedar Grove, for wrapping around each others gifts. I am grateful to be a part of it.

And later that night, Keri and I enjoyed some cake:

The next morning, Jasper and I enjoyed that distant cousin of cake, the Pancake, and meandered around Hillsborough until we found the local bookstore, The Purple Crow. The proprietress, Sharon Wheeler, was happy to learn about the book, and ordered some for her store. So here's a footnote about buying local: most any bookstore you walk into will order a title if their customers ask for it, so asking for Cake Ladies in a store that doesn't carry it is a great thing to do. And if you want the convenience of online ordering while still supporting your local bookshop, you can order on indiebound.org and have it shipped to you through your local bookstore.

The end. xo

Fall 2011 Book Tour: Pig Pickin' in Cedar Grove, NC

My friend Keri and the community of Cedar Grove, NC, home to one of the Cake Ladies from the book, Betty Compton, have put together the following event down east in Cedar Grove, NC to celebrate Cake Ladies.  This people of this community garden have been a friend to me and to the Bountiful Cities Project here in Asheville, and I feel so deeply honored to be in such fine company.  I feel so grateful, too, that the community put this together on their own, to celebrate this wonderful woman Betty who has given so much to their community.  I'm getting a little teary again.  

You Are Invited to a

Book Signing, Cake Walk & Pig-Pickin’ Potluck:

 At Anathoth Community Garden!

On Tuesday, October 18th

From 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Please bring a dish to share!

The book, Cake Ladies, Celebrating a Southern Tradition, written by Jodi Rhoden will be available for purchase at the event as well as one of the featured cake ladies, Betty Compton! Jodi and Betty will be there to sign your copy of this amazing new cookbook, featuring delicious cake recipes, inspiring stories, and beautiful photography.  Betty will be the guest of honor at the cakewalk with her famous pound cake. You can also bring a yummy cake to put in the cakewalk.

There will be live music with fellowship, fun and great food. 

Come join us and bring a friend!

Directions: Hwy 86 North from Hillsborough - 7 miles; take a left onto Carr Store Road; go 1 1/2 miles to flashing stop sign. Continue straight on Carr Store Rd. approx. 1 miles & take a left on Mill Creek Rd. & 1st right onto Lonesome Rd. The Garden is on the Right.

(In case of rain, the event will move into the Cedar Grove UMC Fellowship Hall at the corner of Carr Store Rd. & Efland Cedar Grove Rd. - next to the post office.)

For more info go to www.anathothgarden.org or call the church office at 919-732-8405.

Cake Ladies Book Release Party, Sunday October 16!

Please join us for a cake-filled, kid-friendly, cocktail-licious celebration of the publication of Cake Ladies. This will be my home-town send-off before a few months of travel promoting the book, and I would love to see your beautiful face before I go. We're gonna raffle books, flowers, cakes, and t-shirts; Calliope Cut Flowers decorates, Miss Glo pours and Michael Tangelo DJ's. $3- $5 suggested donation for the raffle, no one turned away for lack of funds. Books will be on hand for purchase and signing; a few of the book's featured Cake Ladies will be in attendance, too! The venue is the lovely, renovated church on Forsythe Street, in the 5 Points neighborhood. From Downtown, go down Broadway and pass 5 Points, take a Right on Woodrow. Take you first left on Forsythe and park anywhere that's legal. Respect the space and the neighbors; we gonna have a good time!

Welcome to the World, Cake Ladies!

I am grateful and happy to announce that my book, Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition, will be on the shelves in two short weeks! I will tell you more at the end of this dispatch about events and purchasing information, but first I want to reflect on what an incredible and beautiful journey it has been to bring this project into being. I never set out to write a book. I merely was interested- I knew what a beautiful part of my life baking cakes had become, and I wanted to meet other women who had a similar experience. I was given the opportunity to do just that when Nicole McConville from Lark Crafts took a chance on me and went to bat for my idea- and then the idea became a book. Nicole- I am so grateful to you. As a result, I spent the better part of 2010 researching and writing this book. I sojourned through the South meeting friends new and old. I sat at the kitchen tables of dozens of women who graciously shared their wisdom with me, not just about cakes, but about love, family, and community. I was at a crossroads in my life, in my marriage, and in my work, and the adventures I experienced last summer lit the path for me to a way forward, in my life as a writer and a business owner, and in my heart, too. I will be forever grateful to every friend and angel I encountered, and the joy I felt in crafting this book. One of my culinary heroines, Irma S. Rombauer, said in 1931 about her book, The Joy of Cooking, that "this book is the result of a long practical experience, a lively curiosity and a real love for cookery." Though my book contains roughly 741 fewer pages than hers did, I think I know how she felt. I finished writing the book last October, and largely set it aside, content to work in the Cake Shop, spend time with my family, and journal about my discoveries. The experience of writing the book was so beautiful, that just doing so would have been enough. Happily, though, I get to embark on a whole new adventure: I get to share it with others. One of the best things about this limbo time before the books come out has been hearing the reactions of the Cake Ladies in the book as they receive their advance copies, and hearing the updates on their lives and their work. Michele Burton-Oatis, of the Cupcake Fairies in New Orleans, wrote: "I sent you a text the moment I saw the cover. I was so emotional I couldn't speak. Melissa and I are in awe of you and Susan's talents. The book is amazing and the stories are so personal. It make you feel like meeting the other ladies and baking with them. Wow this is really happening. I'm so ready. Whatever you need please let me know."

Peggy Hambright, of Magpies Cakes in Knoxville, Tennessee, said: "Can't really believe it's been over a year since this all started. A lot has happened in that short time. I'm taking half the day today to cook dinner for a friend and start reading (i have two strawberry rhubarb pies in the oven!) and I finally got to start on your book. I started crying at your introduction. Geez. The book is lovely. I can't wait to get to the whole thing ~ all the ladies' stories. It was funny reading my "story" and realizing how much it has changed just in the past few months."

Jessica Grossman, of Jestines Sweet Shop in Charleston, wrote this to me: "Hi Jodi! We received our copy of Cake Ladies and are completely thrilled. You must (and should!) be so proud!! I'm looking forward to reading every word. It's a wonderful and charming book! I am so honored to have been included. You have a lovely way with words and a very respectful and gracious manner in telling everyone's story."

So I wrote a book, it comes out in a couple of weeks, and I can't wait to see what fate has in store for me on this next leg of the journey. I really love these ladies. And I feel proud to be counted among their number. And without further ado, I will give you the details:
In Asheville, starting in the first week of October, the book will be available at the Cake Shop, at Malaprops Bookstore, and at Barnes and Noble, as well as online.

If you live outside of Asheville, I believe that most Barnes and Nobles will be carrying the book, but please do encourage your local independent bookseller to carry the book. Also, when my dear sweet friend Michael Frey is finished revamping my website, I will be selling signed copies of the book online as well.

I am still working to finalize plans for travelling with the book this fall, but my (almost) confirmed book party schedule so far is this:

Sunday, October 16th: Book Launch Party at Forsythia Hall in Asheville!

Tuesday, October 18th: Pig Pickin' and Cake Walk, Cedar Grove, NC

Wednesday, November 2: Book Signing: Square Books, Oxford, MS.

Thursday, November 3: Book Signing: Turning Pages, Natchez, MS

Saturday, November 5: Book Signing and Reception: Southern Food Museum, New Orleans, LA

Wednesday, November 9: Book Signing: Montreat Books and Gifts, Black Mountain, NC

Tuesday, November 15th: Homecoming. Or: Marietta, GA book release party with my hometown Cake Lady, Johnnie Gabriel, at Gabriels Desserts in downtown Marietta.

Friday, November 18th: Athens, GA: stay tuned for details.

Friday, December 2nd: Magpies Cakes, Knoxville, TN.

Sunday, December 4th: The Big Crafty, Asheville, NC.

Thursday, December 8th: Cakehead Bakery and Hub City Books, Spartanburg, SC.

Sunday, December 11: Charleston, SC.

You can see updates on the facebook page here. More to come! I love you and I thank you.

.

Friends, I am pleased to announce that I have completed the first half of the Cake Ladies book. Thus far my soul journey has included: Open Doors, Welcome Tables, Voodoo Priestesses, Benevolent Witches, Cowboys, Farmers, Best Friends, Indian Chiefs, Belles-of-the Ball, Cherokee Grandmothers, Boys-Next-Door, Bad-ass Business-ladies, Great-Aunts, Adventures at the Corner of Pineapple Highway and Banana Street, Cupcake Fairies, Cake Shop Elves, Beautiful Homecomings, Getting Lost, Finding Lost Treasure, and the Milk of Human Kindness, among many other magical things. Not to mention the cake: Oh, dear God, the cakes I've eaten! I feel like the luckiest lady in the whole wide world.
I'll soon embark on the next leg of the journey- the Gullah Coast, Chicago, and the Sunshine State. I can't wait to see what these travels will bring- and I'll keep you posted. Meantime, thanks to the crew at the Cake Shop for holding down the fort so capably and gracefully.
And thank you, everything and everybody, for the love.
xo
jodi

NOLA Dispatch Part I: Buttermilk Drop Bakery

New Orleans, Louisiana, has a special hold on my heart, and it's going to be hard to leave. I've been here since Tuesday, chronicling the lives and recipes of Southern Cake Ladies for my forthcoming book from Lark Books. The journey here was amazing, and I feel so lucky to get to travel the south this summer and document the people, places, and foodways that I love.


(view from the West Bank of the NOLA skyline far in the distance)

I've also gotten to relax a little bit with friends- Elyse has a serious kiddy pool in her backyard, and the Cake Cafe is always a welcoming and delicious place to hang out. Spending time with beautiful friends, old and new, have made my visit lovely.
But, lest you think that the past week of my magical Cake Ladies journey has solely consisted of lounging in kiddy pools, eating pastries in various New Orleans coffeeshops and watching the World Cup at the Lost Love Lounge...

(ahem, for example)

...I bring you this review of the Buttermilk Drop Bakery!





The Buttermilk Drop Bakery and Cafe is a busy, bustling bakery at the corner of St. Bernard and Dorgenois Streets, in the Gentilly/7th Ward neighborhood of New Orleans. last year, owner Dwight Henry closed Henry's, his well-loved bakery on St. Claude, and opened Buttermilk Drop on Dorgenois with the same crew. Dwight's an interesting dude: in addition to owning a kick-ass bakery, he's also working on a movie, "Beasts of the Southern Wild," described as "an epic comedy, where a ferocious ten-year-old girl refuses to evacuate her home in the Louisiana Delta without her dying father as the Southern Apocalypse descends upon them." Find out more about the movie, and the grassroots film army Court 13, here.



Dwight Henry, Owner of the Buttermilk Drop Bakery.

Yesterday, I bought a half a dozen Buttermilk Drops, and they were hot out of the fryer. I ate two right away, gave the rest to my friends, and an hour later I was wishing I had bought more. I went back today, bought more, and they're gone too. Here's a picture of the last one before I ate it:


The Buttermilk Drops were so freaking good that I'm having a hard time describing them, but Elyse summed it up perfectly when she said, "they're crunchy and tender in all the right places." And I would add to that, perfectly fried, perfectly sweet on the outside and perfectly not-too-sweet on the inside. Damn.
Dwight makes 30 different flavors of King Cake during the Mardi Gras season, and he claims they are the best in town. If the doughnuts are any indication, I'm inclined to believe him. Buttermilk Drop Bakery also serves breakfast and lunch, and various pastries in addition to their doughnuts. Buttermilk Drop Bakery is located at 1781 N. Dorgenois in the 7th Ward, and the phone number is: (504) 252-4538.

Oh, and they also sell Sno-Balls:


And here's some sage advice from another New Orleans bakery, Adrian's: