Lisa's Down Home Tennessee Country Cooking

Get ready to try some really great recipes. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, that is probably true. Lisa is one of the best cooks I have ever known. I should know, I’m her husband and eat her food every day. I’m not sure how the kids really feel, now grown and with their own lives. I do know however, if they are within fifty miles and it’s close to mealtime; they seem to just drop in for no apparent reason.

By the way, Lisa IS a Tennessee Girl. What I have always found interesting, if not amusing, about Lisa’s cooking is sometimes she’ll be putting a meal together and say something like, “I’m out of this or that.” I always offer to run to the store and pick up whatever she needs but she never lets me go. “I can substitute something, give me a minute to think it over...”she smiles. Then she uses something other than what the recipe called for and it ALWAYS works!

As we were preparing this book she kept saying to me, “I’m not sure anybody will want this cookbook, it’s just a book full of plain old recipes, nothing really special.”

My stomach and I both cut her off immediately. “These are great recipes,” I responded. “That’s what makes this a good cookbook...it’s simple, easy and the results are delicious.”

“But,” she countered, “what makes this book special? It’s a cookbook! Anybody can go online and get great recipes."

“The part about ‘You don’t need any fancy fixin’s,” I replied. “Think about it, how many times have I heard you groan about some new recipe you’re trying and they insist that you put a certain special ingredient in it? Then you either have to make a trip to the store or find another recipe.”

“But,” she hesitated, “every cook goes through that, it’s no big deal that’s the way recipes are.”

“Exactly...everybody who cooks goes through that...” I said smugly. “They’d like to make something that doesn’t require a trip to the grocery. The best part is you tell them what to substitute.”

She still grumbled about it being ‘no big deal’ but at least she knew how I felt. The kids helped edit it for us and they were licking their chops and groaning. They’d laugh and look up at me or Lisa and say something like, “man this is a good one...” or “oooh I love that...” It was hilarious really. We had to cook every recipe and so we had a month or two where we ate a lot of pies, cakes, cobblers, vegetables and meats - all prepared per recipe. I must have gained ten pounds. It was quite a treat.

Take my word for it, these are wonderful recipes, they are easy to make and the results are more than satisfying. It’s a shame that in these modern times a lot of families have let one of the most important parts of their lives pass by and that is home cooked food. No, I don’t believe in keeping the woman of the house in the kitchen, I believe that it should be a family affair. Who says it’s MOM’s job to put the meals on the table? At our house you’re as likely to see me or one of the kids mixing, folding, rolling, beating, basting, broiling and anything else that is required to put a hot delicious meal before the family.

When you walk into our house it’s not uncommon to be confronted with the sweet aroma of fresh baked bread or southern fried chicken. There is something special about the smell of a busy kitchen and about a family gathered at the table, enjoying good food and sharing everyday experiences from each of their lives.

So, take your time as you peruse "Lisa’s Down Home Tennessee Country Cookin", try a recipe or two, then you’ll know you have something special in your hands. You’ll never need any exotic ingredients or secret talents. She has tried to provide you all the secrets you will ever need to become a great cook.