The Frances Virginia Tea Room became a landmark in early Atlanta, and by 1943 they were serving more than 2,000 meals. Diners celebrated the opening of "Gone with the Wind," mourned the death of President Roosevelt, and the watched the Fourth of July Parades from the Peachtree windows. In 1962 the owners toasted their retirement and closed the restaurant's doors. Millie Coleman took her memories and love for the restaurant and created this wonderful cookbook. Her Aunt Agnes, the dietician/home economist who planned the meals for the elegant Atlanta tea room, dusted her old recipe files off and painstakingly converted them to family sizes. While the focus is on the recipes, each chapter begins with a page of history or nostalgic memories.

This excerpt perhaps best describes the elegance of the tea room and the times:
"There were no written rules of behaviour, just years of admonitions from mothers and grandmothers. And for some reason, when you walked into the dining room, you immediately took pleasure in sitting properly, crossing your legs at the ankles, keeping one hand correctly in your lap, and saying "Yes, ma'am.""

Chapters

Breads and Soups
   In the Kitchen with Aunt Agnes
Salads and Sandwiches
  Starched Caps and White Aprons
Beef and Pork
  The Elevator
Chicken and Turkey
  Getting to the Stores in Time
Seafood
  Ritual of Womanhood
Vegetables
  Thanksgiving, the Horn of Plenty
Dressings and Sauces
  Dressing up in the 50's
Desserts
  Tipsy Tea Totalers
Quantity Section
  How to Hire a Cook: Cooking for a Crowd

I didn't count, but there are surely more than 200 recipes. Along with numerous breads, salads, soups and sandwich fillings, titles include Bohemian Tomatoes, Tuna Shortcake, the famous Sherry Chiffon Pie, Turkey with Spaghetti and Mushrooms, Creole Shrimp, Deviled Swiss Steak, Salisbury Steak with Creole Sauce, Salmon Croquettes, Macaroni and Cheese, Hot Milk Cake with Lemon Filling and Boiled White Frosting and Gingerbread with Fluffy Wine Sauce. If you need to make 100 muffins, a cobbler for 28 or individual chicken casseroles for 48, you'll be pleased with the quantity section. It's especially helpful for big holiday dinners and pot lucks.

I had the pleasure of meeting Millie at the recent Southern Foodways Symposium, and her devotion to Southern food and its history was evident. The legendary restaurant and the great tastes of Atlanta will live on through this fine cookbook.
A special thanks to Millie sending these pie recipes, just in time for the holidays.

Recipes

• Three Pumpkin Pies with Sherry Whipped Cream
• Food Processor Crust
• Quick Apple or Mincemeat Pie