Recipes and Food Traditions
Step into an old mountain kitchen, and you notice the skillet before anything else. It sits on the stovetop or hangs near the range, ready for the next meal. Folks kept cast iron because it worked, and its steady heat helped shape the dishes that defined Appalachian cooking. The result is what many call cast-iron…
A strip of fatback in a hot pan offers a familiar scent. The sizzle settles into a steady rhythm, and the kitchen takes on a soft haze that Appalachian cooks knew well. Their gardens offered plenty of food but not much flavor. Beans carried their own comfort but needed a lift. Greens softened with a…
Daybreak is quiet and subdued. A lingering chill hangs in the air, and the rustling of leaves hints at something unseen nearby. An Appalachian hog steps out from a stand of young poplar, nose to the ground, as comfortable in the woods as any wild creature. It pauses at the edge of an old fence…
It’s native. It’s sweet. It grows along half the rivers in Appalachia. And still, most folks in pawpaw country have never tasted one. Maybe you’ve passed it a hundred times: growing low along a creek, hidden beneath the canopy. Or maybe you’ve caught a whiff in late September: something tropical and overripe, like banana pudding…
Chef Jacques Pépin said that our food reflects our history. Around here, that’s not theory—it’s fact. Southern cooking isn’t just something passed down. It’s something that kept folks alive. It remembers what people went through, and it doesn’t let much go to waste. If you want to know who someone is, ask what they put…
There 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…
Imagine 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….
There 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…
I 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…
When 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…