I feel so blessed to have been born and raised in the south. While there are many reasons for feeling this way, the one I am going to talk about is southern cooking, especially my family’s fried taters.
Growing up, fried taters were a staple at my grandparents’ kitchen table. Of course, there were other goodies such as fried chicken and hot homemade cornbread. As for the cornbread, as soon as it came out of the oven, Mom and I would place a pat of butter inside a piece of it and wait for it to melt. While that was tasty, it wasn’t as yummy as Mamaw Girdle/Myrtle’s homemade cobblers. Now, you can’t have food that tasty and others not know about it. Many people in our community and church loved to get an invite for a Sunday dinner at my grandparents’ house. Actually, as a child, I thought everyone ate like this. Unfortunately, many do not.
A good example of this happened many years ago. There was a couple who were dear friends with my family. We went to church with them and they ate with us quite often. Then we received bad news about the husband. He was seriously ill and needed to take experimental treatment at a research hospital in Pennsylvania. Of course, Mamaw Jo called them every day to check on them, but one day the wife called very early. She said the food up there was bland and they used rye bread a lot. “What I wouldn’t give to have some of your fried taters right now.”
Enough said. My mom and one of our cousins packed up and headed up to Pennsylvania. You don’t get a call like that and only pack clothes. No siree. They also took iron skillets, cooking oil, and a bag of potatoes. They drove straight there and to the place where the wife was staying. Mom said it was similar to the Ronald McDonald House. It was like a small apartment in that it had a full Even before they unpacked, they fixed a pot of fried taters and took them to the hospital. When they walked into the hospital room, our friends were overjoyed. Eagerly they dug into the fried taters. Mom said it did her heart good to watch them eat.

“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”1
Thessalonians 5:11 (KJV)
Our friend wasn’t just asking for southern fried taters. What she was really seeking was comfort for her and her husband. They weren’t just far away from family and friends. They were in a little different culture as well. So, keep your eyes and ears open for those who may need comfort. You may be surprised at the ones who need it.
Mom said when staff entered the hospital room, they asked what that wonderful smell was. They had never smelled anything like it. Before taking a big bite. Our friend answered: “Southern comfort.”
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.