“Put Up Your Duke’s!”

A friend was reviewing an early draft of this cookbook one day when all of a sudden, he clutched his imaginary pearls and asked, in the most discreet tone of voice, “Did you really mean to say Miracle Whip? Didn’t you mean Duke’s mayonnaise?” I informed him that the Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole was a recipe from the mother of my best friend, Kitty Windham, and that if Miss Kitty said it was okay to use Miracle Whip, then it’s okay to use Miracle Whip.

The confusion was quite understandable, as most Southerners would rather not eat something at all than eat it with a mayonnaise other than Duke’s. From the time he was a tiny boy, my brother George loved nothing better than Duke’s mayonnaise.