Well, Shut My Mouth! The Sweet Potatoes Restaurant Cookbook is
recipes--recipes from the restaurant, recipes from the families of chef
Stephanie Tyson and co-owner Vivian Joiner, recipes that are Southern,
plain and simple. In creating the recipes for Sweet Potatoes, Tyson used
all of her influences Geechee flavor from Joiner's father, who was from
the Hilton Head area of South Carolina; her mother's working-woman "out
of the can and into the pan" shortcuts; and her training in culinary
arts at Baltimore International College and her later work in South
Carolina, the Florida Keys, Arizona, and Maryland. Just the names of the
recipes in this book are enough to whet one's appetite: Pimento Cheese
Fondue; Sweet Potato, Corn, and Country Ham Risotto; Gullah Shrimp and
Crab Pilau; Slow Cooker Chocolate Stout Pot Roast; Down-Home 'Tata
Salad; Molasses Dijon Dressing; Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Pecan
Crunch Topping; and many others. Most recipes include a bit of flavorful
commentary from the chef, such as this tip for Spicy Greens: "If you are
faint of heart (burn), eliminate the red pepper altogether." Or the
brief definition that introduces Crackling Cornbread: "Cracklings are
deep-fried crispy skins of various animals--in this case, pork." Well,
Shut My Mouth! is also the history of the two women who started a
locally and nationally acclaimed restaurant (Our State, Southern Living,
New York Times). As Tyson says in her introduction, "Every part of me is
a part of Sweet Potatoes." In Well, Shut My Mouth! she shares a
culinary experience that has been a favorite of Winston-Salem natives
and visitors for years. Now, patrons have the tools to re-create the
Sweet Potatoes dining experience in their own homes.
Stephanie L. Tyson (right) and her partner and co-owner, Vivian Joiner
(left), opened Sweet Potatoes in the Downtown Arts District of
Winston-Salem in 2004. Both live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
"Everything about this book is correct except the title. Anyone with a
taste bud in their mouth should follow these recipes and open their
mouth." - Maya Angelou
