Additional Books You Will Enjoy

More Florida Books, DVDs and Music You Will Enjoy Owning and Sharing
These books, DVDs and audio CDs are written and/or produced by Florida authors, friends and artists, and represent a growing collection of items we think you will enjoy. We welcome you suggestions about additional titles you would like to see in this collection. Individual titles ship Priority Mail (2 Days) for $6.50; Media Mail (7-9 Days) for $4.00. CDs and DVDs ship via 1st Class Mail for $4.00.

Butch Harrison
Florida Cracker Storyteller

This new DVD contains 58-minutes of stories in three chapters. The first section, filmed at a Florida pioneer homestead at Florida Capital State Park in Perry, Florida, provides a rich introduction to early settler life. An authentic settler house and outbuildings provide the perfect background as Butch demonstrates how and why settlers built the typical "Cracker House," what they ate and how they lived.

Much of the music is by Butch's friend, fellow Floridian Benjamin DeHart. See his music CD listed below.

In the second section, Butch entertains us with true tales of his life as a guide and gladesman in the Florida Everglades. These are colorful stories of frogs, fish and alligators in the world that was Butch's playground, a world that is increasingly threatened today.

We've taken the entire contents of the Butch Harrison DVD and created an audio book (audio CD) that you can listen to in your car while driving or relaxing in your favorite place.

"CRACKER - the last cowboys of Florida" is a movie depicting the life of the ranchers and cattlemen and women in the state of Florida - the second largest cattle ranching state in the USA.

Covering every aspect of their lives - from the prairies to the corrals to the rodeos and the small town parades, this movie explores a way of life that is rapidly disappearing, after 250 years of existance.

But more importantly, it reveals the danger in the loss of the Florida prairie to urban sprawl - the wholesale destruction of the wilderness and conversion to unfettered construction. Technology has allowed the rapid conversion of forest and ranchland to "martini ranches"; tiny one acre houses with no plan for sustenance and no regard for the future.

This movie, hopefully will help the public, the government and the developers themselves to see a better way - a sustainable future that we can leave to our children and posterity forever.

This multiple award-winning film is 75 minutes long.
$19.95 -

A Classic Book of Southern Cooking
Cross Creek Cookery
by Margarie Kinnan Rawlings
Author of The Yearling, Cross Creek and more

First published in 1942, Cross Creek Cookery was compiled by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings at the request of readers who wanted to recreate the luscious meals described in Cross Creek -- her famous memoir of life in a Florida hamlet.

Lovers of old-fashioned, down-home cooking will treasure the recipes for Grits, Hush-Puppies, Florida Fried Fish, Orange Fluff, and Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie. For more adventuresome palates, there are such unusual dishes as Minorcan Gopher Stew, Coot Surprise, Alligator-Tail Steak, Mayhaw Jelly, and Chef Huston's Cream of Peanut Soup.

Spiced with delightful anecdotes and lore, Cross Creek Cookery guides the reader through the rich culinary heritage of the deep tidal South with a loving regard for the rituals of cooking and eating. Anyone who longs for food -- and writing -- that warms the heart will find ample portions of both in this classic cookbook.

Personal note from Rick Smith -" I made waffles following the recipe in this cookbook and must say that they are the best I have ever tasted. I can't wait to try more recipes."

Everything you ever wanted to know about mangoes

Not only are mangoes light, delicious, and juicy, they go with anything from grilled pork chops to ice cream. Discover mouth-watering recipes that feature mangoes in salads, meat and seafood dishes, desserts, drinks, and even salsas and chutneys. An appealing blend of scores of Asian, Mexican, Indian, and American recipes awaits within the 141 pages of this unique, softbound cookbook.
The Mongo Mango Cookbook - $12.95

Whether you're a Florida visitor, newcomer, or resident, let gourmet cook George S. Fichter tempt your palate, and join The Sunshine State Cookbook's celebration of Florida's plenty.

In this collection you will find easy-to-follow recipes that range from the comforting to the fantastical. You will become acquainted with the exotic fruits and vegetables found in the Sunshine State, get tips on the proper ways to handle and prepare seafood, and find new ways to liven up familiar vegetables and meats.

The Sunshine State Cookbook : $9.95

Learn how to select, prepare and enjoy Florida Seafood

Lonne Lynch, a master chef in Boca Raton, Florida, will show you how to master the art of preparing and presenting Florida's cornicopia of delicious seafood, with nods to Florida's many influences including Southern, Caribbean, and the lastest eclecticism, making use of Florida's bounty of citrus and exotic fruits and vegetables.

Includes tips on purchasing, preparing and serving fish and shellfish, with alligators thrown in for good measure. Cooking is fun, and Lonnie will show you how with suggestions for artistic food placement, food painting techniques, and more.

Find handy information on the nutritional value of seafood, using the right tools and equipment, and what to serve with each gorgeous dish, including basic and innovative sauces, slasas, and vegetable accompaniments.

The seafood recipes will thrill you with Lonnie's imaginative approach. Here are just a few:

• Bahama Conch-Papaya Pancakes with Chili Sur Cream
• Key Largo Shrimp with Garlic-Parmesan Butter
• Blue Marlin Sportfishing Chowder
• Pineapple Boat with Creamy Dill Shrimp Salad
• Lobster Lisa with Sherry-and-Brandy Mornay Sauce
• Mussels Primavera with Almond-Cilantro Pesto
• Grilled Salmon with Honey-Mustard Glaze and Rutabagas

Takin' Another Crack At It
Music CD

Benjamin Dehart's music made a great contribution to "Florida Cracker Storyteller." The theme song is Ben’s version of Frank Thomas’s “Cracker Cowman” from Ben's CD, “Takin’ Another Crack At It!” This outstanding CD contains eleven songs, eight of which Ben authored. In addition, he did the arrangements, sang lead vocals and perfect harmonies, played flute, harmonica, guitar and, at appropriate moments, cracked the Florida cow whip. His brother Jason played banjo, Gilbert Dhennin and Leo Vieira, symphonic keyboard, and Tony Macaluso upright bass.

The music flows seamlessly—instrumentation enhancing a clear, soaring tenor that defies description. The most apt title I can lay on Ben Dehart is “Pavarotti of Florida Folk.”

The CD opens with “Grey Cow Cavalry,” a song describing the Florida cowboys who rode with Jake Summerlin rounding up scrub cattle and driving them to Baldwin as food for rebel soldiers. “All I Ever Wanted To Do Was Be A Cowboy” describes graphically the plight of so many who trade their dreams for security. “Open Country” expresses the yearning of lovers of nature frustrated by unrestrained development. With “Papa, Can You Hear?”, “1993-2003, Our First Ten Years,” and “Granny, I Miss You,” Ben shares his deep love for his wife and family. “Drunk Traps” is clever and lighthearted.

Takin' Another Crack At It CD - $16.00

Mama
Root, Hog or Die
By Barbara Oehlbeck
A uthor of The Sabal Palm & For The Love of Roses

Here is a cute excerpt that is a nice sentiment at Christmas time.

In her folksy style, Oehlbeck writes: "Born in a cold back bedroom in mid-December of the coldest winter on record in Grayson County, Virginia, Mama knew what a man's world was like long before the concept became popular. At age 75 she told my father she needed a new chain saw and she got it."

In a time when heroes are too often hellions, when the flavor of rural life is almost forgotten, when too many people are living the exact opposite of the old adage of "waste not, want not", this book is a welcome reminder of generosity and ingenuity, of making do "not only for her family and friends but also for strangers who touched her life."

Both of Oehlbeck's parents, Nancy and Glenn Harding, had the uncanny ability to fix or make anything they needed or wanted. They built their own house. Together they ran a motorcycle repair shop after supper and on Saturday's. She ran it during the days while he worked full time at a furniture factory. Mama learned by lookin'. Since they both could and would fix anything, people brought in small appliances, anything with wheels, and toys by the dozens.

They lived on a corner lot that hobos and hungry youngsters knew as a good place to eat. They also had a farm nearby where his parents lived, but where all of them worked. They raised four children of their own, then later adopted and raised a fifth. While the book is full of wonderful stories, it is also full of mystique. You end up hoping there will be a sequel.

Each chapter is a story in itself so you can read the book little by little if you don't get too hooked. While Mama is definitely the main character, the author also brings to life the dear man she always calls "my father." But the love between them all comes through strong and clear

The Everglades: River of Grass
60th Anniv. Edition
Marjory Stoneman Douglas,
Update by Michael R. Grunwald

Before 1947, when Marjory Stoneman Douglas named the Everglades a “river of grass,” most people considered the area a worthless swamp. She brought the world’s attention to the need to preserve the Everglades. In the Afterword of this edition, Michael Grunwald gives an update of what has happened to the Everglades since then.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas lived in Florida for eighty-three years. One of Florida's foremost environmental spokespersons, she has been a journalist, writer of fiction and nonfiction, editor, publisher, and crusader for women’s rights, racial justice, and conservation of nature. Her books include Florida: The Long Frontier, Alligator Crossing, Hurricane, Freedom River, and her critically acclaimed autobiography, Marjory Stoneman Douglas: Voice of the River with John Rothchild.

This book deserves a place in every Florida library and the collections of all who care about Florida's environmental history.

Preview this book by clicking here. (Please return here to purchase.)

As children, Annette Bruce and her brothers and sisters pestered their parents for stories. Now it is her turn to be the storyteller. In this collection of stories from Florida’s rich folklore heritage, Annette Bruce carries on the tradition of storytellers throughout the ages, delighting children and adults alike with tall tales and nonsense stories, modern fables and stories from Florida history, and the memorable Cracker Jack tales. All of Annette Bruce’s stories entertain as they gently instruct, and all are chockfull of colorful characters living their lives amid the rich landscapes of old Florida. Open this book anywhere for a delicious storytelling snack that will be appreciated by any listener.

Pull up your favorite chair and a few listeners and start your own storytelling tradition with the gems from this collection of Tellable Cracker Tales.

'[Annette Bruce] offers all who enjoy local Floridian color hours of entertaining reading. The narratives in this book contain historical facts and engaging fictions artfully woven together with lessons for life, messages about social values, and ample measures of wit." — from the Preface by Ormond H. Loomis, Chief, Bureau of Florida Folklife

"Annette Bruce . . . has captured the spirit of a time and a place that are part of Florida’s forgotten past. I can’t recommend this new collection of stories enough." — Richard Stone, managing partner, StoryWork Institute

Hardbound, ISBN: 1-56164-100-6, Size: 6 x 9, 104 Pages, 6 line drawings

Tellable Cracker Tales - $14.95

More Tellable Cracker Tales
Annette Bruce

“The matriarch of Florida storytelling ought to be a woman who has had a hand in the organization of storytelling within the state, as in being one of the founders of the Florida Storytellers Association. She should be a campaigner, showing everyone that storytelling isn’t just for teachers and children but for everyone, that the art is more than just entertainment and fun; it’s a way to pass on our culture from generation to generation. She should be performing for audiences large and small all over the state. She should be an author, collecting and making available for publication fresh, new material. And, most of all, she should be a good listener. I know Annette Bruce to be all these things.” —Bob Patterson, artistic director, Gamble Rogers Folk Festival

“The grand dame of Florida storytelling has done it again. More Tellable Cracker Tales promises to be another milestone in the cannon of Florida Cracker culture. A true Southern lady who is at once as sweet as a citrus grove in bloom and as feisty as a fire ant, Annette Bruce, through her stories, speaks of a Florida that needs to be remembered—a Florida filled with humor, grit, and graciousness.” —David Matlack, founder and director, 1998–1999 Ocala Storytelling Festival

“Annette Bruce should be declared a state treasure. Anyone interested in Florida’s past needs to read her books. The history stories take us back in time, Cracker Jack is pure entertainment, and a trip to Dogbone causes absolute hysteria. The only thing better than reading her stories is hearing her tell them. Thank goodness we have another volume of her stories preserved.” —Diane Rooks, author of Spinning Gold Out of Straw: How Stories Heal

Drawn from Florida history, folklore, and fiction, this collection of stories tailor-made for telling will entertain, inspire, and astound readers and listeners of all ages.

Dell, crippled since birth, begs his father to let him nurse a broken-legged colt back to health. Against his better judgment, his father agrees. Soon Dell is no longer the little crippled boy whom people pity but the proud owner of Whirlwind, the fastest and finest horse in all of Marion County.

Cracker Jack is up to his old tricks: putting one over on his Yankee schoolteacher; confounding a census taker; and convincing a befuddled farmer that it’s not Saturday but Sunday (and if the preacher finds him working on a Sunday, well, there’ll be you-know-what to pay!).

Sheriff “Pogy” Bill Collins used to be the worst lawbreaker in Okeechobee City. Then he promised Judge Hancock that he’d walk the straight and narrow in return for his release from jail. Pogy Bill kept his promise to the judge . . . and then some.

During the Depression, Roy asks Bill, who’s looking for work on Roy’s farm, what he can do. “I can sleep through a storm,” Bill replies. It seems like an odd answer at the time, but eventually Roy wills his entire farm to Bill.

In a place called Dogbone, it’s really not that unusual to see a glow-in-the-dark man running naked after a driverless truck with two barking dogs in pursuit. It even made Ed Grady an honest-to-goodness churchgoer.

“Annette Bruce’s second book of Florida Cracker stories brings back the feel of the front porch swing, the sound of the old screen door—and a host of recollections as perennial as cornbread and beans. Here, in these pages, is the tale-teller at work.” —Ken Crawford, coordinator, Florida Folk Festival

Hardback, ISBN: 1-56164-253-3, Size: 6 x 9

More Tellable Cracker Tales - $14.95

Florida Place Names
Alachua to Zolfo Springs

Allen Morris/Joan Perry Morris, Photo Editor

Many names of Florida places evoke fantastic images: Caloosahatchee, Okeechobee, Loxahatchee, Everglades, Miami--to mention only a few. Florida's places were often named to honor prominent local citizens such as postmasters, landowners, or war heroes; Jacksonville, for example, was named for Florida's first American governor, Andrew Jackson. Later the state's interest in attracting new residents produced names that suggested pleasant places to live, such as Belle Glade and Avon-by-the-Sea. From Alachua (from the Seminole for "jug") to Zolfo Springs (from the Italian for "sulphur"), Florida Place Names delights and educates with a rich and varied offering of Florida lore.

"A fascinating collection" —The Miami Herald

Hardbound, ISBN: 1-56164-084-0, Size: 6 x 9, 291 Pages, 100 b&w photos

Florida Place Names $21.95 -