Mavis was a fabulous Southern cook, and her lifelong dream was to publish her own cookbook.
As she inched closer to 90, her daughter Holly decided it was now or never and the journey began: sifting through boxes of recipes and menus and party planning, deciphering her notoriously bad handwriting, and having 50 first-edition copies printed of Mavis’ Kitchen.
The family had a surprise presentation for Mavis at her 90th birthday celebration on October 3, 2011, where she had her first book signing!
The cookbook was now a reality, but granddaughter Shannon could see the family legacy in this book waiting to come alive. And Mavis was just ornery enough to point out all the recipe mistakes in the first version.
The second edition of Mavis’ Kitchen was printed in time for Mavis’ 95th birthday on October 3, 2016, and was listed on Amazon.
Mavis passed away in August 2017, content knowing the dream of her very own cookbook had become a reality.
The coronavirus pandemic hit in March of 2020, and we retreated to our homes. Comparisons between The Great Depression and the current crisis connected food and cooking at home as a common theme. As Mavis’ Kitchen was written through the lens of a Great Depression mindset, Shannon and Holly realized an updated version could lend advice to help people navigate their kitchens during these current challenging times.
The third edition of Mavis’ Kitchen was published on October 3, 2020, in honor of Mavis’ birthday.
Mavis’ Kitchen: A Southern Cooking Lifestyle is available for purchase on Amazon.
$22.00
Copyright 2020 Tavin Press
ISBN 978-1-7358768-0-1