Recipe for a Book from the South

It’s struck us all in a deep way. Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman, the book that eventually became To Kill a Mockingbird, has shown us that Atticus Finch was more than what we saw through Scout’s child eyes.

If you have read To Kill a Mockingbird (and if you haven’t, shame on you), you may have some strong beliefs about Atticus Finch. He was an honorable man. A man who stood up for a negro man who was falsely accused. Scout told us all of this when she was a girl.

In Go Set a Watchman, we see Atticus through his adult daughter’s eyes… and he isn’t as virtuous as we thought. He is a white man of the time period. He abides by the truth, but he is a racist. And this is causing many fans great upset.

Before we talk food, remember this. Go Set a Watchman is NOT an extension of Mockingbird. It is an entirely different book. It is more about the reality of the time than the awareness of a child. I don’t like this newly described Atticus Finch at all. But he isn’t perfect. None of us are. Read it and think past the Finches to ourselves and our own beliefs. We are our own watchpeople.

And after that serious discourse, I’d like to offer a couple of recipes of the time.

Southern Lemonade

You wouldn’t catch Scout drinking some abomination from a can or bottle, would you?

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup lemon juice

3-4 cups cold water

Instructions:

Make a simple syrup with the sugar and water. Place in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon juice (freshly squeezed from about 6 lemons) to a pitcher with the simple syrup. Add cold water to taste. Refrigerate.

Crackling Bread

The cracklings are bits of crunchy bacon. Delicious!

9 ounces (2 cups) cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) buttermilk

1 large egg

1 cup cracklings (or substitute crispy bacon pieces)

1 tablespoon butter or bacon drippings

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Put the tablespoon of fat into a cast iron skillet and put the skillet in the oven to heat. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in another bowl, then combine the wet and dry ingredients, whisking just until combined. Stir in the cracklings. Remove the pan from the oven and pour in the batter-it will sizzle. Turn the heat down to 350°F and return the pan to the oven. Bake until golden, 25 minutes. When finished, flip the bread out of the pan so the crispy crust faces up. Slice into wedges and serve. Drizzle with honey if wanted.

Grab your book, a glass of lemonade, and a piece of Crackling Bread and sit down for a read. You might not agree with it, but it will make some great conversation… and great eats!