Recommended Reading: "The Cheese Biscuit Queen Tells All" by Mary Martha Greene

On April 5, I was in Carrollton for a writers conference, and the first session I chose to attend was with South Carolina author Mary Martha Greene, whose books include The Cheese Biscuit Queen Tells All and, most recently, Kiss My Aspic. I liked her immediately and was intrigued by the story of the "cheese biscuits" (known around here as "cheese straws") that were so legendary in her family.

The cheese biscuits were a specialty of her late Aunt Mimi, and Mary Martha has now accepted the mantle of Cheese Biscuit Queen and carries on the tradition. As soon as she mentioned that these were made with Rice Krispies, I realized I had made these before—or so I thought. She had brought some of them on a three-tiered silver server to share with us, and though I assumed I knew what they tasted like, I took one bite of hers and realized the light and airy treats were vastly superior to mine. (And I'm a pretty decent cook, if I do say so.) The trick? Among other things, Aunt Mimi grated her own cheese, creamed her cheese and margarine using a particular process, and set the baked cheese biscuits on paper towels to absorb any grease. (Aunt Mimi also bore a resemblance to Queen Elizabeth, and her niece relayed several humorous tales about that!)

Over the weekend, I sat down and read the stories in this (autographed!) book cover to cover, something few cookbooks have ever tempted me to do, but Mary Martha can definitely spin a yarn. As a seafood lover, I was happy to see quite a few shrimp and crab dishes in the book, but my tea-lover heart was especially warmed by recipes for Black Tea Ice Cream, Lemon Sherry Tea Cakes, and a tea punch. I can already tell this is a cookbook I'll be using again and again.

Mary Martha was once a lobbyist in South Carolina and shares quite a few political tales from her time working at the State House. My favorite of these stories, though, was about the day she ended up "Driving Miss Hillary," and the story didn't quite go in the direction I expected it to. 

Beyond the tea recipes, there are seafood dishes and appetizers and sweets I want to try. After I master Aunt Mimi's Cheese Biscuits, I plan to cook the Shrimp and Corn Pie, Jane's Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, and the Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, which caused a delightful dust-up in the South Carolina State Senate.

I told a friend all about this book yesterday, and she told me her copy is on the way. I don't usually just rave about a new book I've read, but this one's mix of fun and funny stories, a wide array of scrumptious sounding recipes, and the author's absolute reverence for family and friends make it an exceptionally good read.

And this summer, I'll let you know what I think about that Black Tea Ice Cream!