Egerton assembles more than four dozen previously published pieces
by writers such as Nikki Giovanni and Roy Blount Jr., offering the
same serendipitous delights as time spent on a front porch of a
summer evening enjoying good food and good talk. This is the first
volume in what is to be an annual series, and, divided into
sections of People, Times, Things, Places, and Southern Foodways,
it's a beguiling mix of food lore, encounters with memorable
characters, and, of course, the place itself, from swampy bayous to
the rolling hills of Appalachia. The selections stem from Town and
Country, Food & Wine, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and
elsewhere, but they all reflect an abiding affection for things
southern, especially the food-from boiled peanuts to Scuppernogs (a
native muscadine grape) and, of course, barbecue. It is a subject
that evokes passionate debate about, say, the virtues of a
mustard-based versus a tomato-based sauce, or even bitter family
feuds. In "A Confederacy of Sauces," Jack Hitt relates how in South
Carolina, a politically liberal brother has taken advantage of a
boycott of his reactionary brother's mustard-based barbecue sauce
to put his own version in stores. The writers introduce characters
like nonagenarian Moonshiner Coe Dupuis; Leah Chase, the cook at
the famous New Orleans restaurant, Dooky Chase; and Dori Sanders, a
peach farmer and writer. They visit farms where watermelons are
grown, they stalk wild hogs, and they eat dinner in a Texas prison,
where the incarcerated chef has a reputation as a great cook. There
are tributes to southern food writers like Craig Claiborne and
Eugene Walter, as well as memories of canning, family reunions, and
Thanksgivings at which, alongside the turkey, there's macaroni and
cheese-"a vegetable in the South." Others debate the merits of iced
tea, which in this region is always sweetened; and explore the
origin of vegetables like okra and sweet potatoes, as well as the
influence of African-American traditions on white cooking,
particularly in the way greens are cooked. A delicious feast, as
well as a thoughtful celebration of regional culture. (Kirkus
Reviews)
The first volume in an annual collection, ""Cornbread Nation""
gathers the best of recent southern food writing. In 51 entries -
original features and selections previously published in magazines
and journals - contributors celebrate the people, places,
traditions and tastes of the American South. In these pages, Nikki
Giovanni expresses her admiration for the legendary Edna Lewis,
Rick Bragg thinks back on Thanksgivings at home, Robert Morgan
describes the rituals of canning time, James Villas remembers his
friend Craig Claiborne, and Fred Chappell offers a contrarian's
view of iced tea. Also among the contributors are: Jim Auchmutey,
Roy Blount Jr, Gene Bourg, Lolis Eric Elie, Damon Lee Fowler,
Jessica Harris, Karen Hess, Jack Hitt, Ted and Matthew Lee, Ronni
Lundy, and Robb Walsh.
General
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