Opinion
Book Review: “Y’all Eat Yet?
I wasn’t expecting to be enthralled by a biographical book by Miranda Lambert, but the book, given to me by a friend, was a pleasant surprise. The charming story, accentuated by many simple yet delicious sounding recipes, was the story of the country-western super-star Lambert growing up in a close-knitfamily in Texas. The book is a history book of sorts that celebrates a close family finding joy in sitting down at the dinner table and eating delicious, practical, simple food.
Lambert gave most of the credit for her love of cooking and the closeness of her family to Nonny, her mom’s mother, and her grandmother. Lambert calls her a “force of nature.”
“She can make the most basic things, things you didn’t think were special—and when she made them, you couldn’t get enough.” Unfortunately, she took many of her culinary secrets to her grave, laments Lambert. “She loved traditions, holidays, family friends, and being together. To her, these were the things that mattered. She passed on her love and generosity to my mom,” said Lambert.
Bev, Lambert’s mom, was the cheerleader of the family. She would show up to everything. She was born a true Texas girl who started cheering in junior high and cheered teams until she finished college. Lambert said her mother was part of a group of friends who did everything together. Her friends, Neicy Watson, Vicky Plaxco, and Heidi Prather Quaheida, were a “one for all, all for one” group.
They supported each other and their families in a unique and amazing way,” said Lambert. “No matter what was going on, good times or bad, Mama, Vicky, Denice, and Heidi knew how to make everything sparkle, taste good, and have fun.” Each friend had their special recipes that were shared over and over during parties, difficult times, and holidays. Some of these recipes are:
Sun-dried tomato cheese ball
8 ounces of cream cheese
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped oil-packed sundried tomatoes
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped black olives
½ tsp. garlic salt
½ cup chopped pecans
Mix the cream cheese, cheddar, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, olives, and garlic salt in a bowl. Form into a ball. Coverand refrigerate overnight. Put the pecans on a plate. Roll the cheese ball in the pecans until fully coated before serving.
Ziploc Omelets
For each omelet:
Two large eggs
Mix-in options
Chopped bacon
Grated cheese
Chopped sausage
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped bell peppers
Chopped onions
Chopped mushrooms
Break the eggs into a zip-top bag for each omelet and season with salt and pepper. Add the add-ons of your choice. Seal the bag and shake thoroughly to scramble—label bags with individual names. Place the omelet bag in boiling water for about 15 minutes until the eggs are set. Just roll the omelet onto a plate.
Even if you are not a country western music fan, the glimpse into the life of Lambert is fun and interesting, and the recipes are a bonus.
