Garden & Gun

.01 RECIPE Dolly’s Deviled Eggs Although the term deviled eggs might imply red horns and pitchforks, it’s actually a reference to the heat of the spices used in this wee delicacy. In Good Lookin’ Cookin’ (Ten Speed Press), a new cookbook from Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George, Parton shares the family recipe for gentler-sounding “dressed eggs” with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce, and paprika—traditional and just the way Parton’s husband, Carl, likes them. Organized by months of the year, Parton’s cookbook highlights dressed eggs as a simple Easter treat, but any Southerner knows you can enjoy them year-round. PARTON’S POINTERS Add a tablespoon of minced sweet pickles to the yolk mixture If you prefer more savory flavors, throw in a tablespoon of minced olives Finish them with…

Follow me on Instagram and X @davedibenedetto Since its founding some seventeen years ago, G&G has been a dog-friendly company. In our original office, staffers’ pups knew the UPS guy by the sound of his steps outside the door, and there was always a spare tennis ball rolling through the hallways. When we outgrew those quarters and moved to a space that could handle the growing staff, the dogs came with us. The editorial team has no shortage of dog lovers, and we’re rarely far from a soft ear to scratch. Not all the dogs are office regulars, but with the prevalence of Zoom calls these days, there’s hardly a pooch that goes unnoticed (and, yes, even an occasional staff cat that likes to crash the virtual meetings). Recently, as…

“I was lucky enough last season to spend sixty days chasing chukar with both of my bird dogs” —Andy Anderson, who took the cover photo and contributed to “Best in Field” (p. 103) Andy Anderson PHOTOGRAPHER ■ Andy Anderson felt right at home while photographing the English springer spaniels at Pine Shadows in Brainerd, Minnesota, for “Best in Field” (p. 103) and this issue’s cover. “I have two bird dogs at home: English setters named Basel and Burnside,” says the photographer, who lives in Mountain Home, Idaho. “I was lucky enough last season to spend sixty days chasing chukar with both of them, and it was glorious—especially with Basel being only seven months old.” Anderson’s work has been featured in Audubon and Outside, and he’s currently working on a book…

“When I retired from the clergy, I banished two things from my life: toxic people and potluck dinners” FOOD FOR THOUGHT Thanks to “Inside the Mind of a Sandwich Savant” (August/September 2024), Turkey and the Wolf is number one on my list for the next time I’m in New Orleans. Susan Lingle Abilene, Texas I like Turkey and the Wolf so much that I still go there even after I discovered from your Instagram post that Mason Hereford is a Rollerblader. Colin Shirek Petaluma, California Helen Ellis rightly named the profits and pitfalls of potluck meals (Southern Conundrum, August/September 2024). When I retired from the clergy, I gifted myself a promise to banish two things entirely from my life: toxic people and potluck dinners. The first should require no explanation.…

WE ASKED… What two Southern staples should be in every pantry? In our Talk of the South newsletter, readers told us what items are never missing from their shelves. Duke’s mayo and bacon grease. What one can’t do, the other can. John F. C. Bourbon and pickled (fill in the blank). Jason M. Simple: Old Bay Seasoning and kosher salt. Rod S. Mayonnaise (Blue Plate) and sugar (white). A Southern household can’t be run without them. Willo B. Molasses and Tabasco. R. R. Steen’s cane syrup and a jar of instant roux. No haters, please—sometimes we are just busy! Brenda O. Ro-Tel and Camellia beans. Maria R. Old Bay and banana extract, because making your own banana pudding is far better and far more satisfying than the instant mixes. Stephen…

YOUR GUIDE TO SOUTHERN CULTURE A song on MJ Lenderman’s new album, Manning Fireworks, contains these delicious lines: “Burdened by those wet dreams / Of people havin’ fun / ’Cause I know going on vacation / Brings the worst out of everyone.” The lyric, from “On My Knees,” a sneering take on human shallowness, is on his mind because the day after our conversation, he’s heading to Italy with his family for a weeklong stay “on some lake.” “Hopefully, nobody will take that line to heart,” he says drolly. Since the release of Lenderman’s 2022 album, Boat Songs, which topped many best-of lists, buzz has been building around the twenty-five-year-old Asheville native. Last year, he released a searing live album, And the Wind (Live and Loose!), showcasing his piercing, Neil Young–esque…