John Maher Builders Country Ham Fest Oct. 3
By wherald
The Spring Hill Country Ham Festival, sponsored by John Maher Builders, has attracted the attention of author Maryann Byrd, a self-made expert on Southern culture and food. Byrd will be attending the festival to conduct research in her quest to augment her recently published book, “The Biscuit Dive Guide” with a chapter on country ham. She will also be gathering footage and information to include in a sequel to her Emmy-winning documentary, “The Rise of the Southern Biscuit,” which is currently airing nationally on The Documentary Channel and on PBS stations around the country.
“Both country ham and Southern biscuits are very important to Southern culture; equally important really,” said Byrd. “I consider them the consequences of Southern culinary culture. That is why I’m adding a chapter on country ham in the book and it is also why I’ll be at this year’s ham festival in Spring Hill. I plan to gather a lot of information and pictures at the festival for the book and documentary. I’m looking so forward to it. Where else can I get 60 premier country ham curers to talk to?”
Byrd has deemed the festival a vital resource for both of her upcoming projects and is sure that it will offer much inspiration.
“I can’t say what I plan at this point,” she said. “My documentaries evolve. If I were to tell you how I intend for ‘The Rise of the Southern Biscuit’ to turn out when I started shooting, you’d be surprised how it is totally different from that first vision. I think good documentary storytelling is not planned; you just shoot footage and tell the story. So I’m just as interested to see what I find as anyone else.”
Festival goers will have a chance to meet Byrd, purchase her book and view her documentary. Byrd will also be handing out her own “shot glass ham biscuits.”
“One thing I’ve learned from my work on the documentary and book is that a Southern biscuit is personal. You have to make it your own,” Byrd explained. “Sure, start with someone else’s recipe, then alter it to fit you.”
According to Byrd, each biscuit maker uses his or her own unique “cutter” to shape their signature biscuits. She has heard of everything from a tomato paste can to a Mason jar being used as a biscuit cutter.
“It is really fun to take something like that and use it for your biscuits,” she said. “So for me, I was making a huge batch of my biscuits to take to an event to give out. I looked through my cupboard and saw a shot glass. I used that shot glass to cut hundreds of quarter-sized biscuits. Everyone complimented me on how ‘cute’ they were. At first, I was embarrassed to fess up, but when I told them I used a shot glass, they all laughed, so now I’m open about it. I will have my shot glass biscuits at the festival. I’m adding diced country ham, of course, to my biscuit recipe.”
The Beacon Light – a restaurant on Highway 100 in Bon Aqua and famous for its Southern biscuits – will be partnering with Byrd to offer biscuits as well.
“The Beacon Light makes the most wonderful lard country ham biscuits,” said Byrd. “They are brining some of those and their homemade preserves. The Beacon Light is featured in my documentary in the book.”
“The festival is a celebration of the best Middle Tennessee has to offer and we are proud that it will be featured in Maryann’s upcoming book and documentary,” said Spring Hill Country Ham Festival coordinator Chris DeBerry. “Thanks to Maryann, the Spring Hill Country Ham Festival will officially stake its claim on authentic Southern.”
The John Maher Builders Spring Hill Country Ham Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Tennessee Children’s Home, 804 Branham Hughes Blvd., Spring Hill. Admission is free and includes participation in all festival activities and the Kid’s Zone. Live music and entertainment, food vendors, arts and crafts booths, competitions and other events will highlight the day. Fireworks will begin at dark. Parking is $10 per carload.
For information, call 931-486-3300 or visit www.countryhamfest.com.
Posted on: 10/1/2009
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