While working as a reporter and producer for North Carolina's public
television network, Bob Garner took his "love of good food to work"
where he created a weekly program devoted to the state's barbecue
culture. That evolved into several programs about traditional cooking.
Over the course of his many years with UNC-TV, Garner established
himself as a country-cooking connoisseur and viewers came to love his
trademark "mmm-mmm" whenever he tasted a dish that met his standards. In
Foods that Make You Say Mmm-mmm, Garner discusses such signature North
Carolina dishes as Brunswick stew, livermush, calabash-style fish,
Moravian chicken pie, persimmon pudding, fish stew, and scuppernong
grapes. Each chapter provides historical background, recipes and
preparation tips, and listings of the best venues where the readers can
sample for themselves. In addition to the classic dishes, sidebars about
favorite brand-name food and beverages, including Krispy Kreme donuts,
Texas Pete hot sauce, Cheerwine, and Mt. Olive pickles, are interspersed
throughout the book.
Television personality, restaurant reviewer, speaker, author, pit
master, and connoisseur of North Carolina barbecue, Bob Garner is the
author of two previous books about barbecue. He has written extensively
for Our State magazine, including "Bob Garner Eats," a 10-part series
on traditional Southern foods. He has appeared on the Food Network's
Paula's Home Cookin' featuring Paula Deen, and Food Nation with
Bobby Flay; the Travel Channel's Road Trip; and ABC's Good Morning
America. Garner was executive producer and host of the UNC-TV series
Carolina Countryside and has been a featured speaker at the annual Big
Apple Barbecue Block Party in New York and the Southern Foodway
Alliance's annual symposium in Oxford, Mississippi. He speaks frequently
to a wide variety of audiences across North Carolina. In 2011, Garner
joined with Empire Properties in Raleigh, North Carolina, to work with
Ed Mitchell at The Pit to promote barbecue heritage; plans include
traveling across the state to host heritage dinners and pig pickings,
accompanied by live bluegrass music. Garner divides his time between
Burlington and Raleigh, North Carolina.
