Blue Grass Cook Book (Applewood Books) - Softcover

Applewood Books

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1429090146 ISBN 13: 9781429090148

Publisher: Applewood Books, 2008

Synopsis

This 1904 book is a loving testament to the power of food-inspired memory, while being evocative of the sights, smells, and tastes of Kentucky in the 1900s. Most importantly, the book was groundbreaking, over one hundred years ago, in its celebration of the vital role Black women played in building and sustaining the tradition of Southern cooking and Southern hospitality. It is full of authentically regional Kentucky recipes. While brain croquettes may not be on everyone's menu today, there are few who can resist the 10 variations on corn bread, or the multiplicity of recipes for biscuits, or the wealth of ice cream flavors and desserts.

About this title

About the Author

Toni Tipton-Martin, past president of the Southern Foodways Alliance, is the coauthor of A Taste of Heritage: New African American Cuisine. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Review

"Austin food writer and historian Martin has written a thoughtful and revealing introductory essay about black-and-white culinary interactions in this re-released 1904 classic of long-vanished Kentucky culture and cuisine."―Austin Chronicle"

"Many of these [recipes] must be veritable heirlooms, precious souvenirs of the past, the originals of which were in faded ink, just as they were inscribed by loving hands of mothers and grandmothers."―New York Times, 1904"

"Fox's book is steeped in nostalgia. . . . Imagining the aroma and taste of those things served up in a skillet a hundred years ago, and remembering the mostly thankless sacrifice of those who served it forth, are enough to make the book a gripping read"―BookForum

"Those of us who look to cookbooks for history as well as recipes have a wonderful treat in store."―Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin"

"Gives credit where credit is due by outlining the ways in which African-American cooks have formed the shape of Southern cuisine."―Floyd County Times"

"The increasing interest in regional and ethnic American culinary history is well served by this edition of Minnie Fox's The Blue Grass Cook Book, a work whose origins and recipes deserve to be better known. The University Press of Kentucky and Toni Tipton-Martin, who has written a thought-provoking introduction, are to be congratulated. Ms Tipton-Martin has unearthed new information on the historical context of this American classic. Especially useful are the hitherto unknown details about both the black cooks whose portraits illustrate the volume and the members of the white Kentucky and western Virginia aristocracy who contributed recipes."―Jan Longone, Curator of American Culinary History, Clements Library University of Michigan"

"Toni Tipton-Martin has shone a bright light on a neglected classic."―John T. Edge, Director, Southern Foodways Alliance"

"Accolades to Toni Tipton-Martin for giving long overdue credit to the contribution black women have made to our Southern foodways, culture and hospitality."―Sharon Thompson, food editor, Lexington Herald-Leader"

"This century-old treasure of Southern cooking attests to the rich contribution of African Americans to a storied cuisine. Its author, Minnie Fox, and her author brother, who wrote the introduction, were probably the first Southern whites ever to acknowledge the role of black culinary genius."―Sidney W. Mintz, author of Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History"

"Of all the old cookbooks in my collection, this remains one of my all-time favorites. And what a delightful surprise it was to learn that it is now being reissued with new material about Minnie Fox and her troupe of kitchen assistants. At last, we learn something about her and the complex culinary world that characterized Kentucky at the turn of the twentieth century. This new edition is a must for anyone interested in the development of American cookery and the important contributions of African Americans."―William Woys Weaver, Contributing Editor, Gourmet Magazine"

""The Blue Grass Cook Book combines history with wonderful old recipes and is a great addition for any cook book collection."―Back Home in Kentucky"

"Brings new light to a neglected classic and offers a portrait of a unique and now-vanished culinary culture." ―Morgan Messenger"

"What makes this cookbook so exceptionalis that the featured dishes are all placed in their proper historic context. This collection is the next best thing to observing the cooking in a traditional Southern kitchen more than 100 years ago." ― Larry Cox, Florida Weekly"―

About this edition

• Publisher: Applewood Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1429090146
• ISBN 13: 9781429090148
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 420