A Yankee's Guide to Surviving Life in the South and a Southerner’S Guide to Surviving Life with Those Damn Yankees

By Kate Dyer

Kate Dyer is a Yankee, Boston-born and bred. Shes a lawyer by trade, on the wrong side of fifty, blunt, irreverent, and opinionated. Shes what Southerners might colorfully call contrary. Through an uninteresting twist of events, shes built a new life south of the Mason-Dixon Lineand shes having the time of her life doing it! As any successful lawyer must be, shes also a keen and astute observer of the human species. That makes her a bit of an amateur anthropologist who is eager to share her tongue-in-cheek observations. Here, to help fellow Yankees who share her newfound love of the South, she shares her best tips for fitting in with the locals. And for all those Southerners who just cant figure out those Yankees who have moved in, shes got a few tips as well.

She offers some tongue-in-cheek guidance in how to decode regional vocabulary from both sides. And as an ingenious Yankee, she has a lot to say about good old-fashioned Yankee ingenuity. Youll also enjoy a culinary passport to the flavors of her childhood in Boston as well as her adopted Tennessee home, with dozens of recipes that showcaseand celebratethe flavors of each region.

A Taste of the North (or, A Little Yankee Home Cooking)

Classic Crab Cakes
New England Clam Chowder
Fancy-Schmancy Baked Chicken in Wine Sauce
Boiled Lobster
Linguini with Artichoke Hearts and Prosciutto

A Taste of the South (Or, How a Yankee Learned to Cook Like Yall)

Southern Fried Chicken
Collard Greens for New Years Day
Oh-So-Southern White Beans
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Southern Biscuits
Proper Southern Grits

So no matter what side of the border you call home, theres something here to amuse, enlighten, and enjoy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 9, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481705851

Kate Dyer

Kate Dyer is a Yankee, Boston-born and bred. She's a lawyer by trade, on the wrong side of fifty, blunt, irreverent, and opinionated. She's what Southerners might colorfully call "contrary." Through an uninteresting twist of events, she's built a new life south of the Mason-Dixon Line—and she’s having the time of her life doing it! As any successful lawyer must be, she’s also a keen and astute observer of the human species. That makes her a bit of an amateur anthropologist who is eager to share her tongue-in-cheek observations. Here, to help fellow Yankees who share her newfound love of the South, she shares her best tips for fitting in with the locals. And for all those Southerners who just can’t figure out those Yankees who have moved in, she’s got a few tips as well.

Book preview

A Yankee’s Guide

to Surviving Life in the South

and

A Southerner’s Guide

to Surviving Life with Those Damn Yankees

by Kate Dyer

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AuthorHouse™ 1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403 www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

This is an AuthorHouse book.

This edition published in 2012 by AuthorHouse

© 2012 by Kate Dyer. All Rights Reserved. All rights reserved.

No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Neither the author, design team, nor the publisher can accept responsibility for, or be liable for, any accident, injury, loss, or damage

(including any consequential loss) that results from use or misuse of the recipes, advice, or information within this book.

Lobster, Confederate flag, and other images used with permission and licensed from Shutterstock.com.

Published by AuthorHouse 1/8/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-0586-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-0585-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013900367

creative support & design © 2012 by Dana Dyer Pierson Renaissance Woman Designs

Contents

A Yankee’s Guide to Surviving Life in the South

Introduction

Life in the South: A Yankee Transplant’s Perspective

Yankee Ingenuity

You Know You’re a Yankee Living in the South When ...

The Boston Memory Test

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: A TASTE OF THE NORTH or A Little Yankee Home Cooking

Rita’s Rye Rounds

Grandma’s Date Nut Bread

Classic Crab Cakes

Grandma’s Mystery Dip

New England Clam Chowder

Jack Caraway Sandwich

Nebraska Potatoes

Broiler Room Potatoes

Kate’s Most-Awesome Way to Eat Vegetables. Ever.

Yankee Fish

Boiled Lobster

Quahogs

Sautéed Chicken in Wine Sauce

Fancy-Schmancy Baked Chicken in Wine Sauce

Broiler Room Chicken

New England Boiled Dinner

Turtle Noodles for Grown-Ups

Fancy-Sehmancy Gourmet Turtle Noodles

American Chop Suey, Yankee Style

Linguini with Artichokes & Prosciutto

Mad Man Sauce

Mama Dyer’s Yankee Spin on a Southern Classic

Simple Meal Chicken and Rice Soup

New England Cornbread

Indian Pudding

Yankee Libations

A Southerner’s Guide "to Surviving Life with Those Damn Yankees!

A Southerner’s Guide to Understanding Damn Yankees

Bout the South: Southern Humor

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: A TASTE OF THE SOUTH or How a Yankee Learned to Cook Like Y’all Do

Pimento Cheese Dip

Redneck Caviar

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Dill Pickles

Proper Southern Grits

Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

Collard Greens for New Year’s Day

Hoppin’ John

Buttermilk Hush Puppies

True Southern-Style Cole Slaw

Oh-So-Southern White Beans

Decadent Southern Macaroni & Cheese

Southern Fried Catfish

Southern Fried Chicken

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Southern Biscuits

Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits

Peach Cobbler

Pecan Pie

Southern Libations

So That’s All for Now, Friends!

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A Yankee’s Guide

to Surviving Life in the South

Introduction

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Let’s start with the basics: I am a Yankee, Boston-born and bred.

In 2005, through a series of uninteresting events, I ended up in the mid-South, in a rural community north of Nashville, Tennessee. I am a lawyer by trade, on the wrong side of fifty, opinionated and blunt. I’m also a WOMAN! So I figured these Southerners would either love me or hate me, and my legal practice would either thrive or flop. Well, after a few years in practice here, I can honestly say that on the whole, the people here have been wonderful to me. I have been very successful in my law practice, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss my Yankee home.

So during the holidays, I began to think about the tastes and scents and culture of home. (Yes, Southerners, we Yankees DO have culture!) Once I began comparing notes with a few other Yankees living here, the idea of this little missive was born. Both Yankees and Southerners will laugh at times (and yes, you’ll both likely be mystified by some things too). Hopefully, at the very least, everyone will like some of the recipes.

As much as I love living here, sometimes I still miss the tastes, sounds, and sights of my New England roots. No matter where you live, if it’s not where you grew up, there are still those things that remind you of childhood, of good times, of HOME ... and I’ve gathered some of those memories for you here.

I’ve also assembled some of my favorite recipes. Some are mine and others are borrowed (with kind permission) from friends and relatives. To start, in part one of my book—A Yankee’s Guide to Surviving Life in the South—I’ve included some classic Yankee recipes. For those who have relocated to the South and miss classic Northern tastes, these recipes can serve as a survival guide to the homemade tastes of home.

I’ve also included a few tried-and-true Southern recipes I’ve learned to love, for those who want to try their hands at the homemade tastes of their new home. These are some of the classic Southern recipes this Goddamn Yankee (more on that in a minute) has learned to make in an attempt to at least TRY to assimilate into the local culture.

In part two of my book—A Southerner’s Guide to Surviving Life with Those Damn Yankees—I’ve done my best to demystify the baffling Yankee species. Southerners, listen up: You’ll learn a bit about what makes your neighbors from the North (and I ain’t talking about Canadians, y’all!) tick. We, like you,