Interview by Jana Hoops. Special to the Clarion-Ledger Sunday print edition (December 23)
Among the many roles that Nashville’s Sheree Rose Kelley holds, her most cherished is home baking–an art she not only believes in doing, but in sharing.
Her debut cookbook, Breads & Spreads is the first in a series she has planned with The Nautilus Publishing Co. in Oxford to “spread” the word that she feels compelled to share her kitchen skills and talents learned from the “endless line of great cooks and bakers” in her own family.
Not only does the book embrace Kelley’s rural roots of growing up in Giles County, Tennessee (encouraged by the bounty of her father’s large summer garden each year), but it enthusiastically reveals her love of the city (sparked by “sampling new restaurants and shopping for exotic ingredients”).
And when she’s not baking rolls, cakes, or biscuits, she’s fulfilling her duties as CEO of Belle Meade Winery, situated on the estate of Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville, where her husband Alton serves as executive director. At the winery she conducts culinary tours, gives cooking lessons and supervises daily wine tastings and special private events, including weddings, on the property.
When Kelley decided she was ready to take on the task of creating a book to share her family recipes, she turned to new acquaintance Roben Mounger for assistance.
“Sheree’s husband Alton introduced us,” Mounger said. “She was familiar with my blog, Ms. Cook’s Table. One day she called to ask for my help with her cookbook idea. She requested that I hold her accountable for the work to be done. For over a year, I tested and refined recipe directions and edited content.”
Mounger’s own interest in food writing had been spurred by another cookbook more than a decade ago.
“Since reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (a non-fiction work that examines one family’s story of learning to eat only locally-grown food for a year) by Barbara Kingsolver in 2007, I have been committed to documenting family stories and tales of seasonal eating, by way of a blog, newspaper column and area magazines,” Mounger said. “Breads & Spreads is the second cookbook project tied to historic Tennessee landmarks which I helped to supervise.”
Mounger said working on Breads & Spreads was more than merely a job.
“For me, working with Sheree was a dream of an assignment,” she said.
The result is a book filled with heartwarming stories, numerous family pictures and a gallery of fantastic food shots of her recipes for breads, biscuits, rolls, cornbread, appetizers and “specialty foods,” not to mention an entire chapter called ‘Spreads and Gravies’!
“Sheree has an adventure-ready spirit when it comes to learning,” Mounger said. “She has taken cooking classes in . . . France, England, Italy, Ireland, and Spain, and she says, ‘So far so good,’ with a twinkle in her eye for the other countries on her short list.”
Below Kelley discusses Breads & Spreads and her own passion for cooking.
Please tell me about the “long line of good cooks” in your family, and how they inspired you to take an interest in cooking at a very early age.
Sheree Rose Kelley
Not everyone has grandparents live into their 90s. I have been blessed to know and learn from the best. Honestly, I didn’t have a choice–it was a way of life. We grew and ate everything from the farm. It came naturally for me. I didn’t know any other way.
Learning to make cornbread and biscuits was so satisfying; those were the staples of every meal. Even as a child I was looking for new recipes to prepare, knowing I could always go back to my firsthand knowledge.
I watched Mama make Hushpuppies a million times for the many “fish suppers,” as Grandmommie would call them. She never had a recipe and when I added this to my book, I had to develop it–and they are mouthwatering!
The satisfaction in knowing how to prepare something and have it look appealing and taste good was exciting!
Tell me about Belle Meade Winery and your cooking classes there.
I first started in the gift shop branding foods for the Belle Meade line. We began to look for additional revenue streams for the site. Alton, my husband and executive director of Belle Meade Plantation, and I started the Belle Meade Winery in November 2009. After we got the winery on its feet I began developing recipes using our wines. The baking classes started shortly afterward.
The class begins with a guided hospitality tour of the mansion and then to the original working kitchen where I teach biscuit baking and ends in the winery for a wine tasting. It was a natural fit to combine the food and wine. Each guest has an opportunity to purchase the tools I use for the class, as well as any new kitchen items on the market.
Before you went to work at Belle Meade, your success with Pampered Chef was phenomenal! Did this come as a surprise to you at the time? Was it hard to give it up?
My love of selling comes naturally. Even as a little girl I would sell cards and stationary in my Mama’s beauty shop. When the opportunity for my two loves–cooking and selling–came together with Pampered Chef, I was in “hog heaven.” I earned my first trip without knowing I achieved it. I received a call from the home office to tell me I was on track and I just kept doing what I was doing and before I knew it, I was on my way to Disney World with the whole family. I had enthusiasm for the product and it shined through to each of my customers.
I really haven’t given it up–I’m selling and teaching in a different format.
Please tell me about the wonderful cover and unique binding of this book.
On a trip to England, I picked up a cookbook that was very appealing from the cover. As I examined the book, I discovered the Swiss binding (which allows the spine of the book to lay flat). As for my cover, that was the hardest decision I had to make. Would it be formal, casual, my picture on the front–or not, whatever, it had to be appealing and certainly speak to the title of the book.
Breads & Spreads is the first in a series of cookbooks you’ve planned in order to share more of your family secrets in a variety of different foods. Tell me about the series, and why you chose to start with a book on baking.
Making biscuits was the basis for the cookbook. My claim to fame is winning First Place in the 4-H Bread Baking Contest in the fourth grade for my homemade biscuits. Each meal begins with bread so why not start a series of cookbooks with the same?
My next book will be called “Summer.” My Daddy said this past summer was his final garden. I asked that he please plant one more, so I could have it photographed from the time he turns it in the early spring to harvest. All my favorite summer recipes will come alive. He has agreed!
Your faith has obviously played an important role in your life. Tell me how this has guided your career decisions.
The scripture verse of Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Hospitality was a part of me before I even knew what it meant, and it has been a guiding principle in my life.
Signed copies of Breads & Spreads are available at our Lemuria’s online store.
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