Caterer and author Elizabeth Heiskell brings humor and energy to Southern cooking

Luncheon with Books at the Union County Library returned with a bounce this past week as cookbook author, Today Show food contributor and caterer Elizabeth Heiskell regaled those present with anecdotes about her career.

This was the first program, sponsored by Friends of the Union County Library, since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

Heiskell lives in Oxford where she and her husband farm and have her catering company, Elizabeth Heiskell Catering, which offers “Southern decadence.”

She has been in the catering business 22 years and was head chef at Viking Range Corporation for eight years.

She is probably more well-known for her appearances on The Today Show, the Food Network’s The Kitchen and as a judge on Chopped.

On top of that, she is a Southern Living Magazine contributor, which ties in with her best-selling cookbooks.

On Tuesday, she talked about moving from her native Mississippi Delta to the Hill Country with her husband’s somewhat inexplicable decision to become a farmer.

Out of the move came Woodson Ridge Farm, but she said that effort came with unexpected challenges.

The first year, her husband planted 10,000 tomato plants. It proved to be an excellent crop year for tomatoes so the Heiskells were soon buried in a daily-increasing avalanche of tomatoes.

Perseverance and what might at one time have been called feminine wiles eventually helped her get rid of the surplus to a degree but that still was not enough. Looking for an efficient, less labor-intensive way to use the tomatoes, she accepted the suggestion to make bloody mary mix, which took off.

Her philosophy is to have fun with cooking and she prefers recipes with simple rather than exotic ingredients.

Although she studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, was lead instructor at the respected Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, and has made many TV and personal appearances, she remains very much “down home.”

Her first book, What Can I Bring, is based on the traditional Southern response to being invited to a gathering. It includes more than 100 recipes based on the monthly feature of the same name in Southern Living that are appropriate for about any event one can imagine.

Two of her books may be less well-known, but still popular.

The Southern Living Party Cook Book is good for those who entertain, sort of the opposite perspective from What Can I Bring. It includes both Southern Living recipes and those provided by Heiskell herself.

Somebody Stole the Cornbread From My Dressing is described as a hilarious comparison between the North and South through recipes and recollections. It is written with Susanne Reed.

Her latest book is Come On Over, Southern Delicious for Every Meal and Every Occasion, released this spring.

Like her other books, it is full of easy-to-prepare dishes with Southern flavor, suitable for special occasions or just to eat at home.

Heiskell said in a review of the book in the Commercial Appeal, “I hope this book inspires people to have friends over. If we learned anything during the past year, it’s how important friends and family are.”

“I wanted people to be inspired to celebrate even the mundane,” she said. “Don’t just wait for a special occasion. You can have a fun night on a Monday … and there are more Mondays each year than special occasions.”

Chapters include Weekdays, Party Days, School Days, Summer Days, Beach Days, Game Days, Diet Days, Cheat Days, and Delta Days.

Debutante Farmer is the brand name for her bloody mary mix and other products. Debutante Farmer Bloody Mary Mix is made from the large tomato crop near Oxford and available at many locations including businesses in Tupelo, Oxford and Memphis.

Heiskell signed copies of her books following the program and some remain for sale at the library.

To order or for information, email kimsey@elizabethheiskell.com or go to her website or Facebook pages.