'Christmas All Through the South' Book Review

My mother sent me package in the mail and said I couldn’t open it until she arrived for her visit in a few weeks. UGH. Of course I agreed to her stipulation, but like a little kid, as soon as the package came I wanted to tear it open and see what was inside. It was a big, heavy box and I could tell it was a book. I couldn’t determine what kind of book it was.

It was too big to be a novel. Too big to be a cookbook. It had me stumped.

I had to put the box away so I wouldn’t be tempted to open it. You can imagine, I was glad when my mother finally arrived in town so I could open this box. Inside was the sublime Christmas: All Through the South book from Southern Living.

It’s a hefty book, full of larger-than-life photos from different areas of the South. This book takes you through all the traditions of Christmas: from getting the tree, to decorating your home (inside and out — front porches included!), parties, parades, and all the sights and sounds of the holidays.

Look at all of these wreaths. They would all look beautiful on my front door!And, this boat parade along Alabama’s Gulf Coast reminds me of my childhood in Florida where a lit boat wasn’t so odd this time of year.

And, I was pleased to see a section on my neighbor, The Biltmore Estate. It reminds me of my magnificent visit to the Estate this summer where I was pampered and was introduced to amazing feasts.

My favorite section, however, has to be the red velvet cheesecake. You know I love my cakes. My absolute favorite cake is The Cheesecake Factory’s red velvet cheesecake. It’s so beautiful and delicious. One day I’ll attempt to recreate this treasure. Christmas All Through the South has a version of this iconic cake. It’s not a copy-cat of The Cheesecake Factory, but a sublime 5-layer cake that looks simply amazing. And, guess what? Lucky me — the recipe is included in the book. The last 58 pages are stocked full of recipes from all the photos in the previous sections. So, it turns out I was right all along — this big, hefty book is a cookbook after all!

My mom calls this book “THE GIFT to give this season.” I think she’s right.

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