Even before I moved to North Carolina, I was a huge fan of The Andy Griffith Show. I never miss a marathon on TBS! I found the cookbook Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook, surprisingly in Six Flags over Atlanta, Georgia. The cover is very colorful and eye-catching, and I thought it would make a great display in my kitchen. Imagine my surprise when I found some of the best Southern recipes ever put in my mouth inside!

I love to cook and I am the type of person who will curl up and read a cookbook just like it is a novel. This is my "bathtub" first choice. Not only is the cookbook chock-full of recipes, but it has mini-biographies about the characters, dialogue from the shows, and even a little history about Andy Griffith and his life. It is a truly entertaining book!

The Writers
Ken Beck and Jim Clark are the authors of this cookbook with Julia M. Pitkin editing the recipes. Beck and Clark are Andy Griffith fans and collected recipes from other fans all over the country. Each fan who sent a recipe that was published is acknowledged. The back of the book includes a side note about "Andy Griffith Show" Rerun Watchers Club members. To validate the importance of food, he mentions a few of the Chapters who have named themselves after food references from the Show. Here are a few of my favorites:

Kerosene Cucumbers of Asheville, NC
Hoot Owl Pie of Troy, AL
"Gluttons, Gluttons, Glut-tons" of Las Vegas, NV
"Gravy is no joke, No Siree" of Rochester, IL

Do you recognize any of those lines?

The Good Stuff
This book has all of the normal categories that a regular cookbook does, but I'm going to give you my favorites of each in a minute. All have such adorable names and if you are intrigued by them, and would like the actual recipe, then email me at Mom2Ty@aol.com and I will be happy to supply you with them! Yesiree!

My favorites
Appetizers: Miracle Salve Dip
Beverages: Earnest Tea
Soups: Barney's Hot Plate Chili
Salads: Tomatoes Mayberry Marinade
Grits, Eggs & Cheese: Mr. McBeevee's Make-ahead Breakfast
Breads: Ange's Apple Bread
Entrees: Barney's Salt and Pepper Steak
Vegetables: Old Lady Crump's Onion Pie
Cakes, Pies & Desserts: Esquire Club Baked Alaska
Cookies & Candies: Thelma Lou's Cashew Fudge
Pickles, Relishes and Sauces: Aunt Bee's Kerosene Cucumbers

Even if you don't enjoy cooking, you can enjoy this book, IF you are an Andy Fan. After I bought the book, I spent the entire night in our hotel room just reading the dialogue from the shows in here. It will definitely keep you entertained! The dialogue's range in length from a quote of a single line to a full page conversation. One of my favorite quotes is from Aunt Bee: "Oh, dear, if I knew there was going to be a summit meeting in my kitchen, I would have washed the floor."

Also included in this cookbook are menu suggestions with a Mayberry Flair. They come in wonderfully handy if you are planning a simple dinner or a Southern themed dinner party! The cuter ones are named Bee's Brunch, Mayberry's Mexican Fiesta, Blue Plate Special and Morrelli's Pounded Steak Dinner.

If you like country cooking, you cannot go wrong with this cookbook. It is the epitome of Comfort Food. It has jam packed 245 pages full of easy to make recipes that I grew up eating at my grandmother's house. If food is the glue that holds families together, then you will want to purchase this book. I'll leave you with one final thought from Aunt Bee, "I love to cook." Happy Holidays!






Recommended: Yes