Meeting A Cookbook Author

My daughter works at our local public library. On Friday they had a visiting author from SC come in to do a talk and sign her books. The author was Dori Sanders and in addition to two fiction novels, Clover and Her Own Place, she has a cookbook called Dori Sanders' Country Cooking: Recipes and Stories from the Family Farm Stand. It just so happened I already owned a copy of this wonderful cookbook. Not only does it contain great southern recipes, it also contains some wonderful stories from the author.

Sarita took my copy of the cookbook sine I had to work. Her boss let her stay for the talk. When Ms. Sanders spotted the hard back copy of her cookbook she asked Sarita if she could please come up and let her sign it. Sarita told her I would have loved to come and how much I enjoyed the cookbook. Ms. Sanders replied that she wished her sweet Mama could have come as well and wanted to know if she could look through the book since she hadn't seen a hardback copy in awhile. She looked to see if it was a first edition but it wasn't and she asked what I would like for her to write in the book. Sarita said she didn't know and was sure I'd enjoy whatever she wanted to write. She ended up writing "welcome to my kitchen".

Sarita said she told wonderful stories and treated the audience as old friends. She called many up to join her one at a time as she was talking, as she did Sarita, who was the first. She told them how she came to write the cookbook. She was asked why she talked about food so much in her novels and stories and she said it was the way you are when you're southern, everything you do seems to be connected to food.

The talk and book signing started at 3 and  I got off work around 4 and went to pick up Sarita. Ms. Sanders was still there and one of Sarita's co-workers, Trish, who knows me, since she's worked there quiet awhile and was there when I took Sarita and Dexter for children's programs a number of years ago, called my name and said she's still here come and meet her. Some of the staff who know Sarita had my cookbook for her to sign and also know how I enjoy my cookbooks was hoping I'd make it before she had to leave.

I went in and introduced myself while Trish was getting Sarita and the camera. Ms. Sanders was so nice telling me she was so happy to meet me and what a sweet person Sarita was. She kissed my hand and hugged me. I too felt like an old friend. She allowed us to take a picture.

My hair sure looks awful since it's still up from work. I also took pictures of the cover of the book and where she signed my copy.. I sure wish I could have attended the whole event but just getting to meet and chat with her a few minutes was a pleasure. I also got to taste one of her recipes from the book, Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Peach Glaze and it was so good. One of the sponsors of the event, a local restaurant provided food including several recipes from her book.

She invited anyone who was ever in the area to come see her at her farm. Here's a link if you're ever in that area of SC:
http://www.dorisanders.com/

If you enjoy southern cookbooks and stories served up with your recipes then I highly recommend this book. I think it's mostly sold as a paperback now days with a new cover. Here's a link to the PB on amazon.com:
http://tinyurl.com/b9qlkl
or the hardback:
http://tinyurl.com/ast38u