Stirring It Up with Molly Ivins

by Sweets, Ellen; Dubose, Lou

• ISBN13: 9780292722651
• ISBN10: 0292722656
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-10-01
• Publisher: Univ of Texas Pr

Summary

You probably knew Molly Ivins as an unabashed civil libertarian who used her rapier wit and good ole Texas horse sense to excoriate political figures she deemed unworthy of our trust and respect. But did you also know that Molly was one helluva cook? And we're not just talking chili and chicken-fried steak, either. Molly Ivins honed her culinary skills on visits to France--often returning with perfected techniques forsaumon en papilloteor delectable clafouti aux cerises. Friends who had the privilege of sharing Molly's table got not only a heaping helping of her insights into the political shenanigans of the day, but also a mouth-watering meal, prepared from scratch with the finest ingredients and assembled with the same meticulous attention to detail that Molly devoted to skewering a political recalcitrant. In Stirring It Up with Molly Ivins, her longtime friend, fellow reporter, and frequent sous-chef Ellen Sweets takes us into the kitchen with Molly and introduces us to the private woman behind the public figure. She serves up her own and others' favorite stories about Ivins as she recalls the fabulous meals they shared, complete with recipes for thirty-five of Molly's signature dishes. These stories reveal a woman who was even more fascinating and complex than the "professional Texan" she enjoyed playing in public. Friends who ate with Molly knew a cultured woman who was a fluent French speaker, voracious reader, rugged outdoors aficionado, music lover, loyal and loving friend, and surrogate mom to many of her friends' children, as well as to her super-spoiled poodle. They also came to revere the courageous woman who refused to let cancer stop her from doing what she wanted, when she wanted. This is the Molly you'll be delighted to meet in Stirring It Up with Molly Ivins.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Meeting Molly	p. 1
Dining.ln,.Dining Out	p. 6
Who, Me? No Way	p. 10
Meeting Multiple Mollies	p. 13
The Molly Too Few Knew	p. 19
Are You Feeling Chili?	p. 23
Julia Child Meets Chicken-Fried Steak	p. 28
Mise en Place	p. 32
Food in the 'Hood	p. 40
Vive la France	p. 51
Gumbo Daze	p. 56
We Get By with a Little Help from Our Friends	p. 64
Wine, Women, and Song	p. 69
Steel Magnolias, Texas Style	p. 74
Dinner A Family Affair	p. 78
Managing Molly	p. 90
Everything Is Relative(s)	p. 98
Westward Ho, Ho, Ho	p. 107
LePetit Dejeuner	p. 110
Home Cookin	p. 117
Food Stamps and Fun on the Dole	p. 121
Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler, Y'all	p. 128
The Minnesota Dead Guy	p. 135
You Gonna Eat That?	p. 140
Thank God It's Friday	p. 145
The Great Leonard Pitts-less Dinner	p. 151
Plans? We Don't Need No Stinkin'Plans	p. 156
and a Partridge in a Bean Stew	p. 161
Bienvenidos a Tejas, Comrades	p. 169
Oeufs a la Neige	p. 172
Table That Emotion	p. 180
The Observer's Observant Observer	p. 185
Salmon on the Fly	p. 188
Burnt Offerings	p. 196
Dinner and the Dancing Tampon	p. 199
Biscuits, Anyone?	p. 204
Without Hope, All Is Lost	p. 209
Let's Diversify This Popsicle Stand	p. 215
Talking Turkey	p. 219
Bacon Has Calories?	p. 221
Colorado Adopts Molly	p. 225
Ou Est Mon Sein?	p. 233
The Beginning of the End	p. 235
Adieu and Adios	p. 244
Gentle Chicken Soup	p. 257
Photo Album	p. 259
Index of Recipes	p. 265
General Index	p. 267
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.