A survey of food traditions of the Appalachians and Ozarks, showing the historical connections to cuisines in Europe, specifically those of England, Germany, Ireland, and Scotland. Published 2000. 28 recipes, 139 research notes, 36 pages. 5.5 x 8.5 inches. Soft cover, saddle-stitched. ISBN 0-925117-99-4.
Such recipes as “Characteristically English [Drop] Dumplings,” “German Potato Salad,” “Irish Stew,” and “Scots Shortbread” are examples of American foods prepared in the Southern mountains (and elsewhere). These dishes are obviously “borrowed” from the Old World. In Mountain Foodways, by Patricia B. Mitchell, the importation of European foodways to the Appalachians and Ozarks is discussed.
Food preferences and preparation techniques brought to the mountains by early settlers exist to this day. Recipes for “hard-times” foods and “happy-times” foods are represented, as are recipes for characteristically mountain dishes like “Corn Bread and Ramps” and tips for using morel mushrooms.
Reminiscences by old-timers make Mountain Foodways captivating to read. For example, veteran miller Oscar Gunter is quoted as remarking, “[My stone-ground cornmeal] comes out warm, like the underside of a settin' hen.”
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Copyright © 2000–2010 Patricia B. Mitchell.