The award-winning author and new Greenville resident gives her thoughts on goals, the South, and good cheese
Sounds like the opening to a joke: So this famous writer wanders into a bookstore during a literary open mic night . . . . But that’s exactly what happened. And the punchline is: she slayed the crowd with her work. Jane Stern—the author of more than forty books (including the legendary guidebook, Roadfood), the pop culture critic, the memoirist, the foodie celebrity—has put down fresh roots in Greenville. She’s witty, she’s charming . . . and she’s here. No joke.
Q&A with Author Jane Stern
How in the world did you end up in Greenville, SC?
Being a travel writer, I have visited just about every place in this country, but I had never been to Greenville or the Upstate. Greenville had two big pluses, no snow and ice (I lived my life in icebound Connecticut) and no memories. It was a fresh start on unslippery ground.
What’s the best meal you ever ate (and where did you eat it)?
I hosted Julia Child’s 80th birthday party at The Rainbow Room and James Beard’s 80th birthday at the Four Seasons. I paid little attention to my social duties and spent both events stuffing my face with the best offerings from the best chefs on the planet.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could take only one thing to eat, what would it be?
A huge wheel of ripe Pierre Robert cheese and a never-ending French baguette.
What advice would you give an aspiring chef?
Stop aspiring and do something.
What has been the most surprising thing about living in the South?
That saying “Bless your heart” around here translates to giving someone the middle finger in Connecticut.
I know you’ve had meals with celebrities. Who’s the most memorable?
Lunch with James Beard at the legendary French restaurant, Lutèce. All heads turned when Beard walked into the main dining room, six-foot-four in his black-velvet cape. Chef André Soltner cooked especially for us, no menu, and Veuve Cliquot poured like Niagara Falls. To Beard this was just another day at the office and all he wanted to talk about (in his booming operatic voice) was how his pug Percy had an impacted anus.
What one dish should every human know how to make?
Every human with opposable thumbs should know how to make food they can share with their pets in an emergency.
Weigh in on the perennial South Carolina barbecue debate . . . What’s the best: mustard-based, ketchup-based, or vinegar-based?
I hate mustard barbecue sauce, and most of the red stuff tastes like ketchup or spaghetti sauce. I’ll take naked Texas brisket or burnt ends with the natural juice.
What book are you reading right now?
I am reading The Plague and I, written in the 1940s by Betty MacDonald. It is the sequel to her light-hearted best seller, The Egg and I, about running a chicken farm in Seattle during the war years. This dark book is about her serious struggle with TB. Even facing death, she is hilariously funny.
You’ve published so many books, but I’m sure you’ve had your share of rejections. Is there a memorable one?
Most of my memorable rejections have come from men. I guess I am a better writer than a love object. There are a few of my books I wish had been rejected, but they were published and now they are like the hideous children you hide in the attic when company comes over.
If someone wants to get to know Jane Stern’s writing, which of your books would you recommend they start with?
I have published 42 books and written for dozens of magazines. Roadfood and my food books are what people identify me with, but if you want a true glimpse of my soul, readers should find any of the articles I wrote about dogs for Departures, The Paris Review, or Town and Country. Two Puppies or Dog Eat Dog are books I wrote about dogs.
How would you spend the perfect day?
With a wheel of ripe cheese, a dog, and old movies on TV.
