Synopsis: Humorist and writer Roy Blount, Jr. delivers a hilarious take on Southern food in his book Save Room For Pie: Food Songs and Chewy Ruminations. In a lyrical mélange of prose and poetry, Blount chews over every aspect of food – where it comes from, how we eat it, when we eat it, why we eat it, how it is prepared, how it is served, etc. Save Room For Pie takes a critical and comprehensive look at Southern food that transcends mere food criticism and deals with social and cultural issues of today’s America in the most hilarious manner imaginable.
Review: I was recommended this book by a friend almost immediately after it came out, and for good reason. Roy Blount, Jr.’s writing is highly entertaining and reminiscent of a nostalgic, bygone America.  This book makes you slow down and enjoy some of the simplest pleasures of life: food.  It is an excellent retreat from a busy lifestyle that is as informative as it is amusing.

The book is organized into parts that deal with different foods and aspects of food:

PART I: WHY I EAT

PART II: THE ESSENTIALS

PART III: MEAT OF THE LAND

PART IV: MEAT OF THE WATERS

PART V: PLANTS

PART VI: DRINK

PART VII: FOOD IN THE ARTS

PART VIII: INCIDENTALS

PART IX: PROCESS

PART X: TRIPS

PART XI: DESSERT

 Blount draws from personal anecdotes, history, current events, and what can only be described as trivial knowledge in his excerpts. One of my favorite components of this book are the asides – small boxes outlined in black on page corners that hold a snippet of a story (usually an obscure real-life event) that relate to the longer story he is in the middle of telling. These asides enrich the text and take advantage of Blount’s quippy storytelling.

You cannot have a book called Save Room For Pie: Food Songs and Chewy Ruminations without a few food songs, and Blount’s certainly do not disappoint. From page 1, Blount will make your mouth water and your sides ache from laughter. What could be better than that?

Eat: First Prize Blueberry Pie

Drink: Fresh-Squeezed Agave Lemonade