In addition to the regular monthly Southern Living, there's an extra issue of the magazine on the market. Called Southern Living Favorites, it's a collection of the editors' and writers' choices for best of the South, from destinations to dining. One of the more mouthwatering articles is Cassandra M. Vanhooser's tribute to fried chicken as prepared by Scott Peacock at Watershed restaurant in Decatur. He soaks the meat in salt water for a day, coats it in buttermilk, dredges it in a mixture of flour and cornstarch, then fries the chicken pieces in a mixture of lard, butter and country ham. The South is a pleasant place, Gay says, but it also can be harsh.
Horror exists side by side with beauty.
You may have something terrible happen, or you may suffer some incredible loss, yet the permanence of beauty remains.