A Mess Of Greens

Combining the study of food culture with gender studies and using per­spectives from historical, literary, environmental, and American studies, Elizabeth S. D. Engelhardt examines what southern women's choices about food tell us about race, class, gender, and social power. Shaken by the legacies of Reconstruction and the turmoil of the Jim Crow era, different races and classes came together in the kitchen, often as servants and mistresses but also as people with shared tastes and traditions. Generally focused on elite whites or poor blacks, southern foodways are often portrayed as stable and unchanging—even as an untroubled source of nostalgia. A Mess of Greens offers a different perspective, taking into account industrialization, environmental degradation, and women's increased role in the work force, all of which caused massive economic and social changes. Engelhardt reveals a broad middle of southerners that included poor whites, farm families, and middle- and working-class African Americans, for whom the stakes of what counted as southern food were very high. Five “moments” in the story of southern food—moonshine, biscuits versus cornbread, girls' tomato clubs, pellagra as depicted in mill literature, and cookbooks as means of communication—have been chosen to illuminate the connectedness of food, gender, and place. Incorporating community cookbooks, letters, diaries, and other archival materials, A Mess of Greens shows that choosing to serve cold biscuits instead of hot cornbread could affect a family's reputation for being hygienic, moral, educated, and even godly.

Combining the study of food culture with gender studies and using perspectives from historical, literary, environmental, and American studies, Elizabeth S. D. Engelhardt examines what southern women's choices about food tell us about race, class, gender, and social power. Shaken by the legacies of Reconstruction and the turmoil of the Jim Crow era, different races and classes came together in the kitchen, often as servants and mistresses but also as people with shared tastes and traditions. Generally focused on elite whites or poor blacks, southern foodways are often portrayed as stable and unchanging--even as an untroubled source of nostalgia. A Mess of Greens offers a different perspective, taking into account industrialization, environmental degradation, and women's increased role in the work force, all of which caused massive economic and social changes. Engelhardt reveals a broad middle of southerners that included poor whites, farm families, and middle- and working-class African Americans, for whom the stakes of what counted as southern food were very high. Five "moments" in the story of southern food--moonshine, biscuits versus cornbread, girls' tomato clubs, pellagra as depicted in mill literature, and cookbooks as means of communication--have been chosen to illuminate the connectedness of food, gender, and place. Incorporating community cookbooks, letters, diaries, and other archival materials, A Mess of Greens shows that choosing to serve cold biscuits instead of hot cornbread could affect a family's reputation for being hygienic, moral, educated, and even godly.

Ever dreamed of owning a restaurant? I know I have. I think owning a restaurant would be fun. But it would require a lot of hours and a lot of work. So I settle for dreaming about restaurants I'd like to eat at. Undoubtedly it will happen that when I'm with others, they'll ask where I want to go to eat. Since I can't actually believe they'll go where I want to go, I let them decide. Besides, I can dream of much better restaurants than any that actually exist. So, since I'm not going to create these restaurants, I decided to tell you about them. Perhaps you'll create them. Even if you don't, I'm sure you'll want to eat there. I know I do! These 16 restaurants are scrumptilicious!

Greens--collard, turnip, mustard, and more--are a defining staple of southern food culture. Seemingly always a part of the southern plate, these cruciferous vegetables have been crucial in the nourishing of generations of southerners. Having already been celebrated in operatic terms--composer Price Walden's "Leaves of Green" includes this lyrical note: "From age to age the South has hollered / The praises of the toothsome collard--greens now get their leafy culinary due in Thomas Head's Savor the South® cookbook. Head provides a fascinating culinary and natural history of greens in the South, as well as an overview of the many varieties of edible greens that are popular in the region. Including practical information about cultivation, selection, and preparation, Head also shows how greens are embraced around the world for their taste and healthfulness. The fifty-three recipes run from classic southern "potlikker" styles to new southern and global favorites. From Basic Southern Greens to Turnip Green Tarts to Greens Punjabi-Style, cooks will find plenty of inspiration to go green.

At oyster roasts and fancy cotillions, in fish camps and cutting-edge restaurants, the people of South Carolina gather to enjoy one of America's most distinctive cuisines--the delicious, inventive fare of the Lowcountry. In his classic Hoppin' John's Lowcountry Cooking, John Martin Taylor brings us 250 authentic and updated recipes for regional favorites, including shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, pickled watermelon rinds, and Frogmore stew. Taylor, who grew up casting shrimp nets in Lowcountry marshes, adds his personal experiences in bringing these dishes to the table and leads readers on a veritable treasure hunt throughout the region, giving us a delightful taste of an extraordinary way of life.

140 delicious, healthy recipes for dark, leafy greens that will please your palate and inspire you to clean your plate, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. Kale and collards don’t have to be the only greens on your shopping list anymore. Rising stars include romaine and parsley, Brussels sprouts and beet greens, and more. But say the words “Eat your greens,” and even though we know they’re good for us, many people are afraid that they won’t taste good. Fear no more! The Power Greens Cookbook provides go-to recipes that are both nutritious and delicious. Acclaimed cookbook author and blogger Dana Jacobi expands your culinary repertoire and introduces the fifteen Power Greens—from arugula to watercress—that are loaded with health-supporting nutrients and phytochemicals that enhance vitality, all the while protecting against diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, fortifying eyes and muscles, even making your skin glow. Jacobi also shares simple cooking techniques that help you prepare these super veggies quickly. Including main dishes and hearty salads, dips, spreads, snacks, and even drinks, The Power Greens Cookbook offers myriad mouthwatering vegetable-centric recipes. • Soups: Cabbage and Brussels Sprouts Soup, Spinach Gazpacho with Walnuts, Hoppin’ John Stew with Mustard Greens • Salads: Caesar Salad with Parmesan Chickpeas, Tuscan Kale Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Walnuts, Beets and Beet Greens with Citrus Dressing • Main Dishes: Red Beans and Smoky Greens, Kale-Smothered Pork Chops with Carrot and Apple, Tortelloni with Broccoli Rabe Florets • Small Meals and Snacks: Avocado and Watercress Tartine, Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwich with Kimchi, Poached Eggs in a Nest of Bacon-Wilted Kale • Side Dishes and Condiments: Carrots with Wild Arugula Pesto, French Lettuce Stir-Fry, Tahini Creamed Spinach, Kale Za’atar Shown in dozens of tantalizing photographs, these dishes are sure to become mainstays in your kitchen for weeknight family meals, casual entertaining, and elegant dinner parties. From the cruciferous and crunchy to the leafy and light, The Power Greens Cookbook is just what the doctor—and your taste buds—ordered.

The authors of the James Beard Award-winning Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking serve up side dishes with vegetables taking center stage. Building on their reputation as James Beard Award winners, Dupree and Graubart have excerpted their best vegetable recipes (plus added some new ones) in this timely collection. Organized alphabetically by vegetable, each section begins with instructions on how to prepare and cook the vegetable and is followed by favorite new and classic recipes. Also included are a selection of vinaigrettes and sauces, plus a roasting chart for an array of vegetables. “Those like me who aren’t full-time vegetarians but definitely eat more greens than meat will love the 120 recipes in this book, each of which takes advantage of vegetables native to the South . . . All in all, I was quite impressed with Mastering the Art of Southern Vegetables. It caters to a good variety of cooking expertises, offering simple recipes that are perfect for an everyday dinner as well as more complex ones for the experienced cook looking to change up their veggie repertoire. Many recipes are perfect for families where not everyone eats meat, as they are savory enough to stand in for a meat main and flavorful and interesting enough to convert veggie skeptics.” —Organic Authority “An excellent cookbook for the less experienced cook looking for useful information on vegetables and on how to cook them . . . presented with a bit of southern flair.” —Portland Book Review

The Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English is a revised and expanded edition of the Weatherford Award–winning Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English, published in 2005 and known in Appalachian studies circles as the most comprehensive reference work dedicated to Appalachian vernacular and linguistic practice. Editors Michael B. Montgomery and Jennifer K. N. Heinmiller document the variety of English used in parts of eight states, ranging from West Virginia to Georgia—an expansion of the first edition's geography, which was limited primarily to North Carolina and Tennessee—and include over 10,000 entries drawn from over 2,200 sources. The entries include approximately 35,000 citations to provide the reader with historical context, meaning, and usage. Around 1,600 of those examples are from letters written by Civil War soldiers and their family members, and another 4,000 are taken from regional oral history recordings. Decades in the making, the Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English surpasses the original by thousands of entries. There is no work of this magnitude available that so completely illustrates the rich language of the Smoky Mountains and Southern Appalachia.