Aibleen - a middle-aged black maid who recently lost her only son. She has raised 17 white children in her life, and becomes very devoted to her most recent white child. She raises these children as if they are her own, even though they eventually reach a certain age where they realize she is "the help" and break her heart.
Minny - Aibleen's best friend, she is a short, fat and sassy black woman. She is known to be the best cook in Jackson, but has yet to learn the ability to bite her tongue. After losing her job and her reputation is ruined, she eventually finds a new one when a new woman in town has not heard of her.
Skeeter - a young white woman who recently graduated from Ole Miss, but instead of a ring on her finger, she has an English degree. She doesn't quite fit in with anyone who should be in her friend group and has dreams of becoming a writer. Urged on by a female editor in NY, she begins to document the stories of maids that are working in Jackson.
These three intertwining stories come together and the reader sees how much "the help" play an important role in the 1960's Jackson. Through Skeeter's research and interviewing the maids, we learn that some are appreciated and loved, while others are made to use a separate bathroom in the garage. We also get a good sense of the racial tension, when we read about the fear the maids have of being found out, and even the risks Skeeter goes to maintain the confidentiality of the interviews and the maids. And all while exploring a dark section of our nation's racial history, Kathryn Stockett manages to keep the book laugh out loud funny.
Now for the fun part... what to serve for a themed book club meeting! This book was chosen by Moira and she hosted the meeting for it. It was her great idea to make all the food served at the meeting themed with the book. She served us some fried chicken tenders, mac & cheese, and even enlisted my help to make a chocolate pie (once you read the book, you will understand the importance)! Here are the recipes, as well as some other menu ideas you may want to look into:
Fried Chicken Tenders - these were quite possibly the best homemade chicken tenders I have had. Instead of using a whole chicken and butchering it, Moira opted to use boneless, skinless chicken breast that she cut in strips. This recipe calls for self-rising flour, which if you can't find or don't have can be substituted with all-purpose flour by adding baking powder and salt to it (1 c. self-rising flour = 1 c. all-purpose flour + 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder + 1/2 tsp. salt). The recipe can be found here.
Mac & Cheese - this dish is made in a slow cooker and sits for 3 hours to become absolutely creamy and cheesy. Great for bigger groups, as the recipe yields 12 servings! Also, because it's in the slow cooker, it's a nice set & forget it dish, allowing you to concentrate on other menu or drink items. Recipe can be found here.
Fried Pork Chops - Minny gives lessons to her newest "white lady," in hopes of teaching her how to cook. One of the things she teaches her is fried pork chops, and it's crazy to me that someone wouldn't be able to learn this! Another Paula Deen recipe, here's a simple way to do fried pork chops.
Biscuits - what southern meal would be complete without a nice, warm biscuit? You can take the easy route and just buy the ones you pop out of a can and toss in the oven. If you don't have time to make them, it is a great shortcut, that tastes delicious. If you prefer to make your own, here's a classic biscuit recipe.
Caramel Cake - in the book, Minny is known for her caramel cake and has gotten jobs off of her skill. Here's a recipe to try to see if you can compete with the cake that was the best in The Help's Jackson, Mississippi.
Chocolate Pie - the chocolate pie Minny bakes, comes to play an important role in the story. This is the recipe I used and it came out delicious. I think Minny would be proud!
Some other ideas are: fried okra, deviled eggs, butter beans, and a peach cobbler. Have fun with it!
Now, as far as drinks go, most of the drinks mentioned in the book are non-alcoholic. They are Tang, Tab and iced tea. If you're meeting is alcohol-free, go with those. Personally, our meetings are never alcohol free. So here's some fun ways to play up the theme.
Wine - When I think about the bridge club woman in the book, I think they would be drinking white wine spritzers. I also seem them enjoying a fruity, sweet Riesling. Either way, I would choose white wine, as I can't see red wine (normally served at room temperature) being a drink of choice in the hot weather of Jackson.
Sweet tea vodka - Firefly is a popular one, but there are others out there. This is vodka that has been infused with sweet tea. You can drink it on the rocks if you like, but I usually mix it with some lemonade and then water to dilute it a bit.
Tab - Tab is a diet cola drink made by Coca-Cola. If you can find some, and want to make it alcoholic, mix it as you would Diet Coke.
Scotch - The woman in Jackson were not drinking scotch, but the men were. In fact, on one of Skeeter's dates she is turned off by the amount of Scotch her date drinks. If you can handle it, pick up some of your favorite brand and dive in. Personally, my favorite is Macallan 15, but I wouldn't drink that for book club.
These are just a few suggestions and I would love to hear any other ideas you have. Hope you enjoy the book, food & drink!
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