Food
Reading Time: 5 minutesThere are snacks, and then there’s the Moon Pie. It’s the kind of treat that holds a certain charm, sitting on the shelves of country stores, its chocolate-coated promise tempting anyone with a taste for something classic. Moon Pies have been around for over a century and are more than just a cookie with marshmallow filling. They symbolize ingenuity and […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesImagine you’re in an Appalachian kitchen, the aroma of a hearty breakfast wafting through the air. The scent of sizzling bacon mingles with the rich, buttery fragrance of grits bubbling on the stovetop. But grits aren’t just breakfast food. When it comes to dinner, grits can easily step in where you might typically find potatoes. Meat, fish, and fowl entrees […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesThere are few culinary divides in my home. But one is so large you could drive a truck through it: okra. I’m a fan. I love it rolled in cornmeal and fried. My wife? Well, she’s a Colorado girl who can’t stand it. Most folks either love okra or hate it. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground regarding […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesI love cooking breakfast; I do so most mornings. It gives a productive start to my day and challenges me creatively. My palette demands variety, so I enjoy trying new variations of old favorites. But whatever I cook must be prepared quickly; I can’t spend all morning in the kitchen. So, I’m thankful every day for the amenities of my […]
Reading Time: 5 minutesWhen it comes to Southern comfort food, there are few combinations as iconic and satisfying as pintos and cornbread. These humble ingredients have been a staple of Southern cooking for generations, providing nourishment and a sense of home to countless families. When cooked properly, pinto beans have a creamy texture and a nutty flavor that harmonizes beautifully with cornbread’s savory, […]
Reading Time: 5 minutesI liked this article about the Smoke on the Mountain BBQ contest in Galax so much that I asked The Daily Yonder for permission to republish it. They generously agreed. It was written by Sara June Jo-Saebo and originally titled ‘Mouthwatering and Divine’: A Reunion over Barbecue in a Small Appalachian Town. It was published in August, 2022. I’m sure […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesThey call it that old mountain dew, And them that refuse it are few, You may go ’round the bend, But you’ll come back again, For that good old mountain dew The folks of the Blue Ridge Mountains take their moonshine, aka mountain dew, seriously. Moonshine liquor was always a part of the colonial Virginia culture: Just 13 years after […]
Reading Time: 2 minutesElectricity didn’t reach most parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains until the 1930s. No electricity meant no modern conveniences for food storage, such as refrigerators and freezers. So until a couple of generations ago, food was preserved the old-fashioned way: drying and canning. Drying fruits and vegetables didn’t require canning jars, and drying was a lot less work than canning. […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesNothing says “Southern cooking” like a big bowl of hominy grits. Most Americans have never eaten grits; some confuse “grit” with “dirt.” To those folks, I say: thanks! More grits for me. To the uninitiated, let me say: grits are just corn. In gourmet circles, it’s known as polenta. It’s not new, and it’s not just Southern: this food was […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesIn England, ramps are known as ramson; in France, they are ail sauvage. Native Americans in the Great Lakes area called the plants Chicagou, for which the city of Chicago is named. Elsewhere in the world, they are known as wild leeks, wild garlic, and spring onions. In the Blue Ridge Mountains and throughout Appalachia, the plants with the pungent […]
