The Food We Eat, the Stories We Tell

October 1, 2019
Appalachian food is more than beans and corn bread, and this anthology explores its depth. Many of the personal essays kick off with objects: a family cookbook, a Cool Whip container of leftovers, a canning jar. Karida L. Brown's oral history of African American gardens in Harlan County coal towns touches on gender roles, labor history, and segregation. Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle ponders her Cherokee culture in relation to who gets served first at a cookout. Several pieces explore the unpaid domestic labor of women, like Erica Abrams Locklear's contemplation of authenticity in her grandmother's Banquet frozen fried chicken. There are several takes on the food of immigrants, from Korea, Mexico, Spain, and Switzerland. Robert Gipe's story of working as a pickle packer is a highlight, as is George Ella Lyon's poem about her late mother's junk drawers. The collection is capped by an essay by renowned chef Ronni Lundy on the particularities of Appalachian umami. In all, this anthology contains a diversity of voices, styles, and cuisines that will be a pleasant surprise to those unfamiliar with the region.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)