Exhibits
Celebrity Cookbooks
Among the large number of cookbooks in our collections are some written by or representative of various celebrities. The Presley Family Cookbook, written by Elvis’s uncle Vester Presley and longtime Graceland cook Nancy Rooks contains the King’s favorite: the peanut butter and banana sandwich. Our collections also house cookbooks by well-known chefs from Mississippi. Cat Cora from Jackson has hosted a number of cooking shows, including Around the World in 80 Plates. She is also the first female Iron Chef on the BRAVO network’s Iron Chef America. In addition to writing eleven food books, Robert St. John is co-host of the PBS series Palate to Palette.
- The Presley Family Cookbook: featuring recipe favorites of the Presley Family / by Vester Presley and Nancy Rooks
- The Tammy Wynette Southern Cookbook / by Tammy Wynette
- Cat Cora's Kitchen: favorite meals for family and friends / Cat Cora with Ann Krueger Spivack ; photographs by Maren Caruso
- A Southern Palate: contemporary seasonal southern cuisine from the Purple Parrot Café and Crescent City Grill / by Robert St. John with artwork by Wyatt Waters
Community Cookbooks
Unlike most commercial cookbooks which have the focused vision of one or two chefs, community cookbooks usually feature recipes from a large number of contributors. These cookbooks have historically been organized by women, usually as a fundraising venture. The books displayed on this shelf represent a small fraction of the many church cookbooks housed in our collections. Below is a sampler of cookbooks produced by various community organizations. All of these give good insights into popular dishes of various times and locales.
- Cooking with Love: a collection of recipes / sponsored by the Triple (L) Club, Southside Baptist Church, Greenville, Miss.
- Feeding the Flock / First United Methodist Church, Greenville, Miss.
- Methodist Manna: Recipes for Food We Love / by members of the Leland United Methodist Church, Leland, Miss.
- Favorite Recipes of Ladies Auxiliary of Knights of Columbus, Greenwood, Miss.
- Loaves and Fishes and Other Dishes
- Heavenly Manna / Covenant Presbyterian Church, Cleveland, Miss.
- Great Performances / Symphony League of Tupelo, Miss.
- Benoit Band Cook Book
- Legal Ladies Cookbook
- Favorite Recipes / compiled by The Pilot Club of West Point, Miss.
- Cooking with Alice Bell Garden Club, Greenville, Miss.
- Cook Book / Noxapater Civic Club
- Belzoni, Mississippi's Treasure of Personal Recipes / Women's Missionary Council of the Trinity Assembly of God Church