Biscuits & Jam

Rebecca Gardner, the founder of Houses and Parties, grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, which she remembers as vibrant, colorful, and filled with family trips across the border into Mexico – back when that was much easier to do. But she also traveled quite a bit to visit family in the Mississippi Delta, where she was inspired by her grandmother, known as Neeny, who loved to entertain. After some fun-filled years at Ole Miss, Rebecca became friends with the legendary Delta writer, Julia Reed, who believed that a Southern party should always have something good to eat—and it should never be boring. In her beautiful new book, A Screaming Blast: Exceptional Entertaining, Rebecca is anything but boring. Every page is an example of her relentless creativity, her wild imagination, and her belief that celebrating with friends and family is one of the great joys of life. She also talks about how it doesn’t have to be that hard or expensive to entertain friends, especially when you know the right short cuts. Sid talks to Rebecca about the upcoming Bourbon Party they’re co-hosting at the Nashville Antiques & Garden Show in January, how to survive the holidays, and why every party needs a Pied Piper. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week’s episode, Sid Evans, Editor-in-Chief of Southern Living Magazine, chats with Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, a singer who’s lent her voice to some of the most well known music of the last 60 years. She got her start as a session singer when just a teenager in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and her voice helped songs from Percy Sledge and Elvis Presley become #1 hits. Eventually, she headed to California and made the transition from the studio to live performance after befriending Jerry Garcia and joining the Grateful Dead. She’s also got a love of both Southern and Californian cuisines and, of course, her grandmother’s delicious biscuits. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fannie Flagg grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where she had close family ties to the Irondale Cafe, a restaurant that’s still serving fried chicken, creamed corn, and of course…fried green tomatoes. The beloved local spot was run by her aunt, Bess Fortenberry, and served as inspiration for her 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which she also adapted for the famous 1991 film. It was no accident that Fannie found success in the movie business. Both her father and grandfather worked as motion picture machine operators, which exposed Fannie to the magic of films at a young age. It also gave her just enough knowledge to bluff her way into running the spotlight at the local theater, where she eventually became both a performer and a writer. Now she’s out with her eleventh book, Something to Look Forward To, a collection of short stories featuring a lot of the quirky Southern characters she’s known for. Sid talks to Fannie about her early days in Birmingham, her very funny grandmother, and the upcoming movie adaptation of her novel, A Redbird Christmas. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All year long Sid has been asking his guests about how they celebrate the holidays, and in this episode we’re sharing some of those answers for the first time. You’ll hear brand new clips from some of his favorite interviews, including TV host and cookbook author Katie Lee Biegel, the incredible husband and wife duo known as The War and Treaty, Houston chef Tiffany Derry, country star Riley Green, and comedian Ellen Skrmetti. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Erika Council, a chef, author, and the owner of Atlanta’s wildly popular Bomb Biscuit Company, stopped by the Southern Living offices to do this interview in person. She grew up in Durham, North Carolina, though she spent plenty of time down the road in Goldsboro, where her grandmother ran the church kitchen like a five-star restaurant, even as she raised funds for civil rights. Erika’s talent runs deep on both sides of her family tree. Her paternal grandmother, Mildred Council—better known as Mama Dip—ran a legendary restaurant in Chapel Hill for more than 50 years, feeding everyone from college kids to Presidents. For a long time, Erika wasn’t sure she wanted to follow the same path, but of course, life had other plans. A few cooking side gigs turned into pop-ups, and those turned into a thriving breakfast business. She’s now a James Beard nominee and the author of Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit. Sid talks to Erika about her family’s legacy, the lessons baked into her journey, and how a simple biscuit can tell a much bigger story. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices