Wyatt Waters and I have spent the past three weeks on the road touring across Mississippi with our new book, A Mississippi Palate. It’s been a grueling schedule since the book was released, but it’s been worth all of the driving and all of the long hours. We are having a blast.

We travel together for the most part. We’ve been listening to a John Lennon biography audiobook most of the way. It’s our fourth time to hit the road together supporting a book, and it has been the most enjoyable journey, yet.

I always take a look at the finalized travel schedule and plot our dining choices across the state accordingly.

Last week we had a scheduled signing in Natchez. Waters was driving down from an engagement in his hometown of Clinton, and I was driving over from Hattiesburg. I had circled the Natchez signing months ago because I wanted to eat lunch at the Carriage House Restaurant for the sole reason of eating their biscuits, which taste exactly like my grandmother’s.

The book signing was scheduled for 1p.m. and I knew I could get to town at noon, eat biscuits (I would have ordered an entrée to be polite, but I was really after the biscuits), and make the book signing on time. Waters had a previous commitment, and was going to be arriving in town just in time for the signing.

Unfortunately, a late-night charity commitment on the Mississippi Gulf Coast didn’t allow me to get home and in bed until way after midnight. After getting some work done in the office, I left for Natchez 1 1/2 hours late. It was apparent after 30 minutes travelling west on US 84 that I was not going to have time to eat lunch before the signing, so I called The Carriage House. “What time do you stop serving lunch?”

“2 p.m.,” the lady said.

“This is going to seem like a strange request,” I said.

“It probably won’t be the strangest we’ve received,” she said.

“I have a book signing scheduled in Natchez at 1 p.m. I was planning on getting over there early to eat biscuits at your restaurant. Seriously. I love those biscuits. They taste exactly like the ones my grandmother used to make, and she’s been gone since 1989.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Thank you. So, here’s my dilemma. I won’t be finished with my book signing until 3 p.m. Will there be anyone around the restaurant at that time? Is there a way I could order a dozen of those biscuits now, and pick them up at 3 p.m. after the book signing?”

“Sure. I’ll be here. Will you bring me a book?”

“Deal.”

Waters and I pulled up to the bookstore at the exact time. We did our duty, met their customers, signed their stock, and went our separate ways.

I headed over to the Carriage House at Stanton Hall. I walked in as the lunch crew was taking care of their closing duties. I asked for the lady I had talked to earlier, and she came out from the back of the house. I handed her my book and she handed me a Styrofoam carry-out box filled to the brim with those little biscuits that taste just like my grandmother’s.

I placed the box of leftover biscuits on the passenger seat and half of them had disappeared by the time I reached the city limits of Brookhaven.

The biscuits were a treat, but the biggest surprise so far has been beef jerky. Yep, beef jerky. I don’t even eat beef jerky, but the jerky at the Knight Butcher on Central Avenue in Laurel is first rate.

The husband and wife team of Terri and Chad Knight have opened Mississippi’s best butcher shop south of I-20. He’s the butcher, she makes fudge in the back of the store. Waters and I finished our signing at the Lauren Rogers Museum, and headed over to the Knight Butcher for a sandwich before hitting the road again. We ate roast beef and provolone on wheat while discussing how lucky we are to live in a state that has a first-rate museum in such a charming small town. I have always believed that the intersection of 5th Avenue and 7th Street in Laurel is the loveliest little street corner in the entire state— and just a few blocks away is the Knight Butcher.

While enjoying our sandwiches and talking to the owners, I noticed several styles and flavors of in-house made beef jerky. They offered a sample. I thought about declining, because I’m just not a jerky kind of guy. Though, being polite, I said, “Sure.”

A few minutes later I was walking out of the store with two bags of house-made jerky. The Butcher’s Jerky (made from ribeye) was costly, but excellent. What’s left of it is sitting on my desk as I type. It won’t stay there much longer.

The first leg of the tour is over. Waters and I are heading over to Italy the day after Thanksgiving to lead a tour of 25 Americans through Venice, Bologna, and Milan, and to film the final eight episodes (we filmed eight in Tuscany in the Spring) of Palate to Palette Season Two.

When the tour resumes in December, we’ll be covering the state from Tupelo and the Delta to the Gulf Coast. I’ve already mapped out a few of my dining choices, though I’ll probably stop in Laurel for jerky on the way to Meridian, and figure out the best route to Greenwood that goes 90 minutes out of my way through Natchez for biscuits. Priorities, people.

Mississippi Biscuits

(from the book A Mississippi Palate)

2 ½ cups self-rising flour, cold .

1 stick unsalted butter, frozen and shredded on a cheese grater.

½ tsp salt .

1 cup buttermilk, cold.

Preheat oven to 475.

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Work in the cold butter with your hands until well combined. There should still be pieces of butter distributed throughout. Add buttermilk and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.

Transfer the biscuit dough to a floured surface. Gently pat the dough to a rectangle about ½-inch thick. Fold the short ends of the rectangle into the middle and repeat this process 4 times. Cut out the biscuits using a 2 or 2 ½ inch cutter and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The biscuits should almost be touching each other. Bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.