Fannie Flagg – Thursday 21 September 1944 – still living as of this post

Introduction

Well here’s another novel - Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg - that I haven’t read, but I did see the movie. My reading list keeps getting longer and longer and longer… I suppose I’d have more time to read if I stop going to the movies. Stop going to the movies?? Nah!

Excerpts from Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café

“THE WEEMS WEEKLY (WHISTLE STOP, ALABAMA’S WEEKLY BULLETIN) JUNE 12, 1929
Café Opens

The Whistle Stop Café opened up last week, right next door to me at the post office, and owners Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison said business has been good over since. Idgie says that for people who know her not to worry about getting poisoned, she is not cooking. All the cooking is being done by two colored women, Sipsey and Onzell, and the barbecue is being cooked by Big George, who is Onzell’s husband.

If there is anybody that has not been there yet, Idgie says that the breakfast hours are from 5:30-7:30, and you can get eggs, grits, biscuits, bacon, sausage, ham and red-eye gravy, and coffee for 25¢.

For lunch and supper you can have fried chicken; pork chops and gravy; catfish; chicken and dumplings; or a barbecue plate; and your choice of three vegetables, biscuits or cornbread, your drink and dessert-for 35¢.

She said the vegetables are creamed corn; fried green tomatoes; fried okra; collard or turnip greens; black-eyed peas; candied yams; butter beans or lima beans.

And pie for dessert.

My other half, Wilbur, and I ate there the other night, and it was so good he says he might not ever eat at home again. Ha. Ha. I wish this were true. I spend all my time cooking for the big lug, and still can’t keep him filled up.

By the way, Idgie says that one of her hens laid an egg with a ten-dollar bill in it.

…Dot Weems”


“FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

1 medium green tomato (per person)
Salt
Pepper
White cornmeal
Bacon drippings

Slice tomatoes about ¼ inch thick, season with salt and pepper and then coat both sides with cornmeal. In a large skillet, heat enough bacon drippings to coat the bottom of the pan and fry tomatoes until lightly browned on both sides.

You’ll think you died and gone to heaven!”



Yesterday’s writer - Noël Riley Fitch
Tomorrow’s writer - Marilyn French

Source: Flagg, Fannie. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. McGraw-Hill, 1988.
ISBN 0-07-021257-0. Excerpts: pages 3-4, 403

Images:
Left: Front cover of my personal copy of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café.
Center: Fannie Flagg from the website flixster.com