retail stands, Sus scrofa is king. Stroll- 
ing about, I noticed whole hogs’ heads, 
Georgia hams on hooks, piles of snowy 
fatback, pigs’ tails in heaps, pork 
chitlins “loose or frozen,” hog maws 
(three pounds for $1.25), pigs’ ears and 
snouts, and an immense mound of pork 
sausage meat sculpted in the shape of a 
hog’s head. From the ceiling flew a 
banner urging customers to order fresh 
whole pigs for July 4. 
Faced with such unwonted porcine 
bounty, I knew that I had come into 
contact with a vibrant node of local 
culture. Outside were the skyscrapers of 
renovated Atlanta, a Manhattanized 
transplant of northern ways and means, 
capital of the New South. But in the 
Municipal Market, an older, possibly 
shabbier, but far less sterile and dera- 
cinated South was profusely on view. 
Pork was only the beginning of the 
riches for sale under that roof. The 
dazzled shopper could snap up little 
packets of twigs called yellowroot and 
steep them for tea. There were tart little 
red Georgia plums and Crowder peas, 
double-yolk eggs by the dozen, sassafras 
honey, greens of several sorts in huge 
bunches, rabbits, and Rocky Mountain 
oysters. 
A market, by its very existence, pre- 
supposes cooks. The Atlanta Municipal 
Market implies an entire population of 
families who thrive on a group of foods 
virtually unknown to shoppers in most 
northern American supermarkets. Per- 
haps 1 was romanticizing what those 
people do with their hog maws and 
snouts, but I was seized with a great 
appetite for dinner at one of their 
homes. 
It was not to be. I ate only in well- 
known restaurants in Atlanta and never 
saw a solitary chitlin. Sunbelt food is not 
fancy food, and it has not turned up on 
menus in polite places. This does not 
mean that polite Atlantans turn up their 
noses at it. Indeed, one of the keys to the 
survival of this cuisine on its home 
ground is its continuing appeal to all 
classes of people, race notwithstanding. 
At a tony barbecue staged in a leafy 
suburban backyard for ABA visitors 
and local friends, the main course was a 
whole hog cooked on the grill. By the 
time 1 arrived, only a charred trotter 
was left, but I was mollified and uplifted 
when an Atlantan guest told me where 
to go later in the year to try opossum. 
Raymond Sokolov, a writer with an 
interest in the history and preparation 
of food, is editor of Book Digest. 
Two recipes from Four Great South- 
ern Cooks (available from DuBose Pub- 
lishing, RO. Box 924, Atlanta, Georgia 
30301, $8.95 postpaid) 
Beatrice Mize’s 
Southern-fried Chicken 
1 chicken, cut up 
Salt 
Freshly ground black pepper 
1 egg, beaten 
Flour 
Vegetable shortening for frying 
1. Wash the chicken pieces and pat 
thoroughly dry with paper towels or a 
clean dishcloth. Sprinkle well with 
salt and add freshly ground pepper to 
taste. 
2. Beat the egg and thin with a little 
water. Dip the chicken pieces in the 
egg mixture, then dredge in the flour. 
Set the pieces aside on waxed paper. 
3. Melt the vegetable shortening over 
medium high heat in a deep cast-iron 
skillet. There should be about one- 
half inch of oil when melted. The oil 
is ready when it just begins to smoke. 
4. Add the chicken pieces to the oil and 
cook uncovered for about 12 minutes 
on each side, turning only once. The 
chicken should be a deep golden 
brown. Drain on paper towels, place 
on a platter and serve with cream 
gravy. 
Cream Gravy 
2 tablespoons melted vegetable 
shortening 
2 tablespoons flour 
1 cup milk or cream 
Salt and pepper to taste 
Pour off all but two tablespoons of 
the oil you used to fry the chicken. 
Add the flour and stir over medium 
heat with a wooden spoon, scraping 
the pan until the mixture is blended 
and beginning to brown. Add the 
milk or cream and stir until thick- 
ened. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
Ruth Jenkins’s 
Baked Grits With Cheese 
4 cups water 
2 cups grits 
2 teaspoons salt 
1 teaspoon paprika 
Dash of Tabasco 
4 eggs 
1 pound sharp cheddar, grated 
8 tablespoons butter 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Boil the water in a saucepan and stir 
in the grits until thoroughly mixed. 
Cook until thickened, stirring occa- 
sionally. 
3. Add salt, paprika, and Tabasco, and 
remove from heat. 
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs 
lightly. Add a small amount of hot 
grits to the eggs, stirring constantly 
so that the eggs do not cook. Gradu- 
ally stir in the remaining grits. 
5. Add the grated cheese and butter 
and mix well. Pour into a buttered 2- 
quart casserole and bake for 45 to 50 
minutes. Serve immediately. 
Yield: Six servings 
138 
