Praisesong for the kitchen ghosts : stories and recipes from five generations of Black country cooks / Crystal Wilkinson ; photographs by Kelly Marshall.
Edition:
First edition.
Publisher:
Clarkson Potter/Publishers,
Copyright Date:
2024
Description:
x, 243 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm
Corn pudding. Granny Christine's jam cake ; A mess o' meatless greens -- How I Learned to Cook. Hot milk cake ; Chicken and dumplings -- Out in the Wild. Wild greens : woods to table ; Sautéed fiddleheads -- The Incredible, Indelible Egg. Chess pie ; Dressed eggs -- The Basket Meeting. Pine Lick mutton leg and gravy ; Basket Meeting green beans and new potatoes ; Caramel cake -- Searching for the Ancestral Garden. Hearty sandwich bread ; Creamy tomato soup -- Birthdays Must Be Celebrated. Pimento cheese with a kick ; Classic Benedictine (Cucumber spread) ; Chicken salad with curry ; Angel food cake -- Blackberries, Blackberries. Wild berry lemonade ; Blackberry jam ; Biscuits with blackberry soup ; Grandmother's blackberry cobbler ; Quick blackberry cobbler -- What These Women Know About Bread. Patsy Riffe's hoecakes ; Praisesong biscuits ; Indian Creek skillet cornbread -- The King of Sorghum. Gingerbread and sauce ; The Dark Crystal latte ; Sweet sorghum cookies -- Soul Food of the Mountains. Garlicky white soup beans ; Hearty vegetable soup with hamburger ; Indian Creek chili ; Chicken and noodles -- Hog Wild About Pork. Ron's pulled pork -- Merry Christmas, Christine. Easy old-fashioned popcorn balls ; No-egg scrambled eggs ; Fried plantains ; Broccoli, sage sausage, and cheese quiche -- Giving Thanks: Past, Present, Future. Turkey hash ; Corn pudding.
Summary:
"A lyrical culinary journey that explores the hidden stories of Black Appalachians through powerful essays and forty comforting recipes from the Poet Laureate of Kentucky. Years ago, when O. Henry Prize-winning writer Crystal Wilkinson was baking a jam cake, she felt her late grandmother's presence. She soon realized that she was not the only cook in her kitchen. There were an abundance of ancestors stirring, measuring, and braising with her. These are her kitchen ghosts, five generations of Black women who arrived in her region of Appalachia and made a life, a legacy, and a cuisine. Part food memoir, part cookbook, 'Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts' weaves fiction with historical records, memories, and interviews to present a unique culinary portrait of Black Appalachians. Forty recipes rooted deep in the past yet full of contemporary flavor are brought to vivid life through stunning photography and beautiful illustrations. You'll find delicious favorites such as Corn Pudding, Chicken and Dumplings, Jam Cake, and Praisesong Biscuits woven into the narrative of Crystal's family, portraying the experience and history of Black Appalachians through their voice, spirit, and foodways. As the keeper of her family's stories and treasured dishes, Crystal shares her inheritance in 'Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts'. She found these stories woven into her apron pockets, floating inside the steam of hot mustard greens, and tucked into the sweet scent of clove and cinnamon in her kitchen. Crystal conjures up her ancestors every time she cooks, honoring the mothers who came before her, the land that housed generations of her family, and the untold heritage of Black Appalachia"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.