Auntie Moon

First, let me say I wish I had come up with that title, but I didn’t. It’s the name of a cookbook by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays.

Two of the best cooks I’ve ever known are Scorpios. By an odd coincidence they share a birthday, although 33 years apart. The date is November 11th. One of the cooks was born 11-11-22 and the other was born 11-11-55.

Another thing they have in common is a fascination with the obituary columns. The elder woman used to hold on to newspapers for months because she hadn’t read all the obits. The younger one is consumed with the New York Times obits, as well as any others she can find. She is also her family historian, which means that she keeps track of where everyone is buried. Another small coincidence – they were also both raised in Georgia (USA). The elder cook doesn’t cook anymore; age doesn’t allow it. But the younger cook is still at it, and getting better all the time.

They share Sun at 18Scorpio, Mercury at 4Scorpio, and Chiron in the 4th. Aside from that, their charts vary greatly.

If you know a Scorpio cook, and you’re looking for a gift, they’ll love Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays’ cookbook, Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral. I came across it several years ago. The minute I saw it, I snatched it up for my friend. She absolutely ADORED it! Written by two residents of the Mississippi Delta, the book is not only filled with some time-honored and stupendous southern recipes, but it is very, very funny.

Perhaps I was reminded of this book because I attended a funeral today, with food provided by the women of the departed’s church. As the authors say, a funeral is a social event in the south. In a small town, where everyone grew up together, it’s a way to catch up with old friends, honor the memory of the dear departed, and get some new recipes. Oh, and you’ll also go home with some of those tasty treats if you stay till the end.

And what’s the #1 hit, the one food item that any southern funeral (or any big southern meal, for that matter) cannot be without? Deviled eggs. Could that be just one more Scorpio coincidence? Deviled egg plates are handed down, passed around, and always hunted down if they go “missing.” Glass is, of course, preferable to tupperware, but sometimes the eggs do need safe transporting.

I got a card from a friend a while back which cracked us both up completely. It had nothing to do with anything except our common southern heritage:

listen here you flat chested, broad assed, penciled-in eye browed, tupperware snatchin’ wench!
give me back my deviled egg carrier!

That pretty much says it all when it comes to deviled eggs, the events that host them, and the gems that hold them. And, actually, making off with a beloved egg platter is the ultimate potluck revenge.

The sentiment is from a card by MikWright www.mikwright.com.