James Villas
"From the introduction, with its wry recounting of Martha Pearl Villas's vilifications of the Northern flour intended for baking "biscuit," to the carefully collected family photos, James Villas re-creates the bustling and sometimes brawling approach to cooking that typifies his family. Martha Pearl Villas, the author's mother, fights the good fight for Southern tradition. James Villas, food editor of Town & Country and author of several cookbooks, adopts the chatty vernacular of his native South in documenting his culinary heritage. Snobs may find the tables turned, as favorite targets of food jokes (the recipes that begin, "Take a can of cream of mushroom soup") are staunchly defended by Mrs. Villas: "All real Southern cooks use canned soup in certain casseroles. Why don't you taste it before ridiculing?" So, bring on the can openers for the "Congealed Sunshine Salad," made with canned pineapple. Not that Mrs. Villas has anything against fresh food; she waits at farmstands for Silver Queen corn to come in from the fields to get the very sweetest ears for her corn pudding, made with lots of eggs, butter and half-and-half. Though many of the dishes here seem exceedingly rich, remember that a good deal are meant for feasts and holidays. Lively anecdotes of Martha Pearl Villas butting heads with Craig Claiborne over the proper way to make giblet gravy, or arguing with her son about the best binder for meatloaf, will give rise to smiles." —Booklist
Books
American Taste
Renowned food writer James Villas shares his passions for food and drink--both the humble and the sophisticated--in essays including "Understanding Fried Chicken," "Upgrading Hash," and "Cornflakes Be Damned!" From his homage to asparagus to his treatise on french fries, Villas regales us with tales of American gastronomy from the perspective of a respectful gourmand and hired palate. (Lyons Press, March 1997)
Crazy for Casseroles
Casseroles illustrate perfectly what authentic, original, regional American cooking is all about. They are food at its most appealing: simple, delicious fare that leaves lots of room for variation and that the home cook can feel proud to serve anytime.
Acclaimed food writer James Villas is a man on a mission, presenting all manner of casseroles from every corner of America that feature meat, poultry, game, seafood, or vegetables, plus appetizer, breakfast, bread, and dessert casseroles. All can be prepared ahead of time and popped in the oven for warm-up, which makes them ideal for entertaining, potluck, or weeknight dinners. They can be simple and homey, like Texas Beef Hash Casserole; No-Nonsense Spinach Casserole; or Sunday Sausage, Apple, and Cheese Strata. But they can also be fancy and fabulous like Venison and Wild Mushroom Bake or Deviled Crabmeat Ramekins.
(Harvard Common Press, January 2003)Biscuit Bliss
James Villas has been obsessed with biscuits his entire life, ever since he was a small boy in North Carolina watching his mother and Aunt Toots bake buttermilk breakfast biscuits (and then getting to eat them!). Now that he's grown up, he has sampled hundreds of varieties from all over the country and baked countless batches himself, which makes him eminently qualified to present the very best recipes in Biscuit Bliss.
Whether savory or sweet, biscuits are the quintessential American bread. Nowadays no bread is simpler, quicker, or more fun to make. Once the knack of turning them out is mastered, they're easy as can be.
(Harvard Common Press, December 2003)