Tur’s Talented Granddaughter

No one keeps me in closer touch with the Deep South than talented playwright Anne Gillis Burkart of Colombus, Mississippi. It was the blessing of all who know her when she turned her pen from journalism to play writing.

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Inheriting many of the characteristics of her beloved Grandmother, Tur, Anne "loves writing of any kind". Anne's two most recent plays have been performed at First Baptist Church and Fairview Baptist Church in Columbus, Ms. One play, Caterpillars Have Feelings Too is a story told through the eyes of three flowers, the Sun, a caterpillar-cum-butterfly, spider, bird, brown bear, snake, a frog and a bug collector. Caterpillars Have Feelings Too has been performed at Fairview Baptist Church and soon will be performed at local nursing homes. Inspirational in theme, the play shows how God has a purpose for all of His creatures. The longer play of this talented Mississippi playwright, Tea Time Triology, begins with a stranger showing two feuding sisters how prayer changes lives. The restoration of the sisters' relationship profoundly affects other people and leads to surprising events. One day soon, Anne hopes to take her plays on the road to churches in other towns, using local `actors' in the parts. Innovative and imaginative in the costume department, Anne, who has played in some of her productions, is loved by the Sunday School set at her church. Anne also stars in the cooking department, turning out many delicious dishes for her family and to take to church gatherings. In typical Anne Gillis Burkart fashion, this mouth watering recipe was typed out while she was stretched out on Grandmother Tur's white wicker swing on the upstairs porch of her family home, outside in perfect fall Mississippi weather. The recipe below is the one l chose for the debut of A Place to Come To.

Best Chicken Pockets Ever

• 6-7 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• Half box of frozen spinach
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese
• 1 T minced garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• 3 T toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 cup, plus 1 T Parmesan cheese
• 6-7 slices prosciutto
• Fresh or dried oregano to taste

Method: Thaw spinach and squeeze dry. Mix ricotta, oregano, spinach, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese(reserving some to sprinkle over top later). Salt and pepper to taste. Slice a pocket into the side of all the breasts, salt and pepper inside. Stuff mixture in pockets and wrap prosciutto around middle. Place in baking pan sprayed with cooking oil and cook in pre-heated 350 oven for 45-55 minutes. Baste with juices from time to time. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top and serve to your favorite people. Next time I make this dish, I plan to try artichoke hearts instead of spinach. If prosciutto is hard to find or just plain too expensive, I don't see why wrapping the chicken in thin slices of pastrami wouldn't work too.

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