Grain and Fire - A History of Baking in the American South (Hardcover)

While a luscious layer cake may exemplify the towering glory of southern baking, like everything about the American South, baking is far more complicated than it seems. Rebecca Sharpless here weaves a brilliant chronicle, vast in perspective and entertaining in detail, revealing how three global food traditions-Indigenous American, European, and African-collided with and merged in the economies, cultures, and foodways of the South to create what we know as the southern baking tradition. Recognizing that sentiments around southern baking run deep, Sharpless takes delight in deflating stereotypes as she delves into the suprising realities underlying the creation and consumption of baked goods. People who controlled the food supply in the South used baking to reinforce their power and make social distinctions. Who used white cornmeal and who used yellow, who put sugar in their cornbread and who did not had traditional meanings for southerners, as did the proportions of flour, fat, and liquid in biscuits. By the twentieth century, however, the popularity of convenience foods and mixes exploded in the region, as it did nationwide. Still, while some regional distinctions have waned, baking in the South continues to be a remarkable, and remarkably tasty, source of identity and entrepreneurship.

General

Imprint:	The University of North Carolina Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	June 2022
Authors:	Rebecca Sharpless
Dimensions:	235 x 155mm (L x W)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	344
ISBN-13:	978-1-4696-6836-9
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Health, Home & Family > Cookery / food & drink etc > General cookery > Cookery dishes & courses > Cakes, baking, icing & sugarcraft Books > History > American history > General Books > Food & Drink > General cookery > Cookery dishes & courses > Cakes, baking, icing & sugarcraft
LSN:	1-4696-6836-X
Barcode:	9781469668369

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!