cookbook author

EATONTON, Ga. — With two major “eating” holidays approaching, Thanksgiving and Christmas, who better to bring fresh ideas and tasty recipes than Johnathon Scott Barrett? He will be the Georgia Writers Museum “Meet the Author” presenter on his book, “Cook & Celebrate: A Collection of Southern Holiday & Party Culinary Traditions” on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 11a.m. (doors open at 10:30a.m.). Tickets are $45 each ($40 each for two or more tickets) and $200 for a table of six. For more information or to register visit: https://www.georgiawritersmuseum.org/johnathon-scott-barrett/

Now for the cherry on top. At noon, attendees will enjoy a Tour of Kitchens in historic downtown Eatonton, along with bite-sized tastes of recipes from Barrett’s cookbook. Guests will visit the following historic homes:

• Reid-Griffith House (c.1844) – Eatonton’s first white-columned mansion

• Reid-Greene-Lawrence-Sichveland House (c.1855)

• Judge Jenkins Estate (c. 1887)

• Gregory House (c.1935)

While the menu for the feast is still being planned, consider stopping by Georgia Writers Museum to purchase a copy of the book in advance. The recipes are sure to whet your appetite.

“Cook & Celebrate” takes readers from the Low Country of Georgia and South Carolina, to the Commonwealth of Virginia, down to Mobile Bay, as Barrett memorializes the rich holiday culinary traditions of our region. Remembrances abound with Hoppin’ John and collards at New Year’s, fried chicken and potato salad on Independence Day, sweet, cloud-like coconut cakes at Easter, and the veritable Tom Turkey and cornbread dressing that crown dining tables at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Barrett shares these recipes, along with many more, while introducing the reader to his friends and loved ones along the way.

Janis Owens, award-winning author of “The Cracker Kitchen,” said of Barrett’s work, “Johnathon Scott Barrett’s delightful voice is that of a favorite country cousin who you adored as a child, who grew up and moved to the city and lived large, but never forgot their country roots—the cousin who not only returns for the family funerals but brings the best cakes and hugs you for two solid minutes, then offers to pay for the casket flowers. He’s a reminder of all that is worth celebrating in our beloved home.”

Barrett is a seventh-generation Georgian with a deep appreciation for the history, foodways, and culture of the South. His first book, “Rise and Shine!”, is a food memoir spanning several decades of Southern farm-to-table traditions. In his second book, “Cook & Tell,” Barrett narrates another delicious culinary sojourn where he includes not only his own entertaining stories and meaningful recipes, but also those of friends met along the way.

Email Georgia Writers Museum (www.georgiawritersmuseum.org) to register and pre-order Barrett’s books.