"The Screened Door Pantry" A Cookbook by Harriett Courtney Lemke & Fran Wall Weaver
"The Screened Door Pantry" by Harriett Courtney Lemke and Fran Wall Weaver is not your ordinary cookbook.
When gamine Mrs. Lemke dropped the book off for me to peruse, she told me that an 80 year old woman told her that she "had stayed up all night reading it", and that was the best compliment she'd had on the cookbook thus far.
Reading a cookbook into the wee hours of the night?
I did the same.
It is that wonderful! From the beginning, you are enchanted with the interwoven stories of Harriett and Fran's families and how both women not only learned to cook, but how they have learned to serve their families and friends with the greatest gift, warmth from well made dishes prepared with love. Love from the kitchen practically envelops the reader as you learn the quintessentially Southern way to prepare everything to "Two Bored Women's Irresistible Iced Tea...
...to sumptuous meals and desserts.
These recipes, ahem, "receipts" as they are lovingly referred to from cookbooks of old, are as easy to prepare as they are enjoyable to read. I have tried many of them and have been very pleased at how simple they are and use easily found ingredients.
Between an occasional "receipt", anecdote and photo, the reader finds a little gem from Lezlie Audra Weaver-Cagle, Fran's daughter; she illustrated charming vignettes from the stories, my favorite from the theme of the cookbook's title:
The anecdotes of family members abound in the book, and I finally got to see a photo of the infamous Elizabeth Boatwright Coker with her yellow Corvette! Mrs. Coker was Harriett's second cousin, but lovingly referred to Harriett as her great niece and herself as her great aunt. Hartsvillians will be pleased to see that her favorite dishes are presented in this cookbook, along with some favorite family photos and stories.
Fran's stories of her family were lovely as well, and heartwarming as you learned how her mother "made do" at home in Darlington with her daughters while her handsome husband was overseas in the Marines.
Sale of the book will benefit two very heartwarming charities, the Doberman Rescue, Inc (Harriett's family has always had them) and Toys For Tots (in honor of Fran's late father, a Marine- the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves organized the Toys for Tots Program back in 1947)
Hartsvillians have the privilege of not only buying a copy locally, but sampling their delicious food and getting your cookbook signed by the Two Bored Women themselves!
They will be at LuLu's Merle Norman this Thursday night, Sept. 6th, from 6 - 8pm, 108 East College Avenue.
The books are only $19.95 a piece, and can also be found at Burry Bookstore.
Copies may be purchased for those "living away" by sending a check for the price of the cookbook plus $6.00 postage and handling to:
Harriett Lemke
Two Bored Women
411 Prestwood Drive
Hartsville, SC 29550
These will make fabulous Christmas gifts!
Receipt for Carrot Souffle
I have personally tried the Guess What? (Carrot Souffle) receipt from this cookbook, and it is fabulous!
Other upcoming book signings by the authors of The Screened Door Pantry cookbook:
Thursday, Oct. 4 -- Black Creek Arts Council, 116 W. College Ave.
and
Thursday, Nov. 15 -- Burry Bookstore.
See you there!
Very Timely
That's odd. I was talking to my mom on the phone this morning and she was saying that she needs to get herself a few cookbooks. Her grandson and his wife recently moved out of her house and took the cookbooks with them. I'll bet she would love this one.
My favorite cookbook was written by my brother-in-law. He has done three printings and would never take money for a cookbook. His has the flair of a newspaper man as all of the recipes have little articles or anecdotes connected to them.
I will keep this one on my wishlist!
I purchased this book as a
I purchased this book as a Mother's Day gift and I think it was a Hit!
Thank you, Jana!
Jana:
This is the best post you have ever done, doll face!
I have decided to BRIEFLY come out of my self-imposed exile over frustration with this site, to offer my comments.
I bought 10 of these books for clients all over the country not long ago; I have never gotten such positive, rave reviews over anything I have ever given these folks, as I did over this cookbook! It made me look so good in their eyes. And the proceeds, as you point out, go to good causes.
Harriet Lemke is a town treasure!
Your post certainly offers better coverage than the paper has given this exciting publication--shame, shame Messenger staff!!!
GO JANA GO!
SS
Let's get cookin'!
Great post, Jana. I'm putting this cookbook on my own wish list. While I thought the article in the Messenger was fine, I didn't actually want to get the book until I saw your post of wonderful words and images. Thanks!
Informative
WOW!
This is the best post I have read in a long, long while on here!
I am so thrilled to know about this book, and never would have known about it at all had this thread not been done.
I plan to but a copy of this cookbook ASAP!
Thank you, Ms. Longfellow!
Glad to be in the know..........................
My mother told me of this book!
It was good to learn more about it!
Where all can it be purchased after tonight???? Just Burry's?
Sounds like I need to spend some time with a screen door slamming, and get myself a copy!
Gratefully, Louise P.
Buy the book and buy the paper
This website is a wonderful tool to get a different side of the news, and this is one of the examples. I didn't know that there was also an article in The Messenger about the cookbook until after I had already posted this on line; it is great that books from local authors get the recognition they deserve. "The Screened Door Pantry" got double billing yesterday, just in time for their signing party tonight at LuLu's!
Here on HartsvilleToday, we have the luxury of using as much room as we want to post, and putting up as many photos as we wish. A real paper like The Messenger is limited to space and time to get to the printers so we can all enjoy it on Wednesdays and Fridays. They do a great job, and Ardie in particular has an eye for the slice of life columns that I enjoy the most about our local paper.
The Messenger is what pays the bills for this site, and I for one am extremely grateful for Doug Fisher from USC and Graham Osteen of the The Messenger & Osteen Publishing for getting this site going and maintaining it. If you like this site, you need to be thanking them and be buying the paper and advertising on it because it all supports the news of Hartsville... rather it be an amateur with a camera & scanner like myself, or the real reporters from The Messenger.
That being said, go buy this cookbook! And pick up your copy of The Messenger, too.... one of the cool kids from my youth group is on the front page, Raleigh Smith, along with some other great kids from Hartsville that traveled to Australia this summer with People to People Student Ambassadors.
And, support local businesses... without them, we'll have empty storefronts and boring chain stores and restaurants with no unique flair.
Professionalism
As usual, Jana, you are far too gracious.
Your post was every bit as professional as anything the Atlanta Journal Constitution would produce.
And what I meant in my earlier comment on this post was this: an area author should have a front page article done in the local paper on something as rare as having a book published---esp. one that is now a regional success. Instead, this paper makes room for the senational things that Joe Wiggins never would have: arrest reports before guilt is proven, drug crimes, pistol whippings, etc.--things I'd rather not see and read, that routinely receive top billing in the paper over local "feel good" matters--I usually am subjected to this (along with everyone else) as I drink my morning coffee and skim the paper on Wed. and Fri., which defeats the idea of the small town paper to me. The good things, if even covered, are buried near the want ads; I have FOX News, the Flo Mo News, and the State to help me feel crappy--the Messenger needs to be more "feel good" in my opinion!
Harriet's book deserved more than a side mention in the Messenger, lost in a slice of life column on page 4B near the obits.
Thank you again for this post, Jana! GOOD JOB!
SS
Book Signing This Thursday Night, Black Creek Arts
Make plans to sample some yummy food and purchase a signed copy of this fantastic cookbook THIS THURSDAY, October 4th, at Black Creek Arts Center at 6:00 p.m.
(or is it 5:30? the Darlington County Tourism site says 5:30pm.... Call BCAC (843) 332-6234 to verify time.)
The next book signing will be on November 15th at Burry Bookstore, 5:30 p.m.
You can also see Harriett Lemke on the big screen, she's in "A Man Named Pearl"!
Gallery Event at 5:00
It says 5:00 on the invitation. I will correct on the web calendar!
Both Fran Weaver and Harriett Lemke will be on hand this Thursday at Black Creek Arts Center to sign copies of "The Screened Door Pantry."
Art work by "A Family of Artists" will be on display as well. Mike Fowle, Patz Fowle and Michelle Rae Morris.
I hope to see you there!
Trish DeHond
Director, Darlington County Tourism
http://www.darlingtoncounty.org
Tonight: A Great evening at Black Creek Arts!
Patz Fowle and her family of artists ... perfect compliment to the wonderful food of Harriet and Fran!
If readers don't know Patz, if you've ever been to the Hartsville Library you've seen her delightful sculpture of the library with whimsical animals about...and, you can see her Car Trek car in Darlington as you turn onto 52 in Darlington, 1050 S. Governor Williams Hwy. (There are 3 flagpoles in the ground-flags are USA, SC & checkered) It's the one with the fun-loving cat driving!
see her amazing work on her website, http://www.patzfowle.com/
What a treat! This lady is famous in the world of sculpture and illustration, and lives right here in Hartsville. And her husband and daughter are both amazing artists too.
5:00 pm tonight, here:
Screened Door Pantry Book Signing and Treats
On Thursday, November 15th, from 7 pm until 9 pm, Harriet Lemke and Fran Weaver will be signing copies of The Screened Door Pantry and offering some of their special treats during our Christmas Open House at Burry Bookstore. Please see the scroll on our website for details - www.burrybookstore.com .
Burry Bookstore
130 West Carolina Avenue
Hartsville, SC 29550
843-332-2511
fax - 843-332-2134
email - burrybooks@msn.com
website - www.burrybookstore.com
BUY SOME
This book is incredible--cannot say it enough!
Harriet and Fran are delights and Hartsville assets!
Folks, you need to get some for holiday gifts!!
Thank you again, Jana, for profiling this delightful cookbook!
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