The Cracker Kitchen: A Cookbook in Celebration of Cornbread-Fed, Down Home Family Stories and Cuisine

by Janis Owens, Pat Conroy (Introduction)

Though our roots are in the Colonial South, we Crackers are essentially just another American fusion culture, and our table and our stories are constantly expanding -- nearly as fast as our waistlines. We aren't ashamed of either, and we're always delighted with the prospect of someone to feed and make laugh, to listen to our hundred thousand stories of food and family and our long American past.

Crackers, rednecks, hillbillies, and country boys have long been the brunt of many jokes, yet this old Southern culture is a rich and vibrant part of Amer-ican history. In The Cracker Kitchen , Janis Owens traces the root of the word Cracker back to its origins in Shakespeare's Elizabethan England -- when it meant braggart or big shot -- through its proliferation in America, where it became a derogatory term to describe poor and working-class Southerners. This compelling anthropological exploration peels back the historic misconceptions connected with the word to reveal a breed of proud, fiercely independent Americans with a deep love of their families, their country, their stories, and, most important, their food.

With 150 recipes from over twenty different seasonal menus, The Cracker Kitchen offers a full year's worth of eating and from spring's Easter Dinner -- which includes recipes for Easter Ham, Green Bean Bundles, and, of course, Cracklin' Cornbread -- to summer's Fish Frys, fall's Tailgate Parties, and winter's In Celebration of Soul, honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.

Recounted in Owens's delightful and hilarious voice, the family legends accompanying each of these menus leap off the page. We meet Uncle Kelly, the Prince of the Funny Funeral Story, who has family and friends howling with laughter at otherwise solemn occasions. We spend a morning with Janis and her friends at a Christmas Cookie Brunch as they bake delectable gifts for everyone on their holiday lists. And Janis's own father donates his famous fundamentalist biscuit recipe; truly a foretaste of glory divine.

The Cracker Kitchen is a charming, irresistible celebration of family, storytelling, and good old-fashioned eating sure to appeal to anyone with an appreciation of Americana.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Food, Cooking, Southern

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jennifer Warnock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating!
Don't read this book if you are hungry!!
Wonderful family anecdotes and cultural lessons as well.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Which is all to say that this particular subspecies of the very earliest Americans, which I will refer to as Crackus Americanis, was an unusually diverse and colorful band of humanity, which took root and flourished all over pioneer America in the latter century. And though their affiliation with whips, poor dental hygiene, and old-time religion gave them a really virulent case of bad PR, they eventually came to embrace their name with humorous deprecation, in no small part because they evolved into such an intractable and stubborn race that self-referring with a derogatory term suited them down to the ground.

Their whole persona was wrapped up in being independent, self-sufficient, and boldly against the grain. If you ever come across a multimillionaire central Florida cattle baron, chances are he'll be wearing worn jeans, ancient pointed-toed boots, and the straw cowboy hat he bought at Woolworth's for fifty cents in 1953. To dress otherwise would be "getting above his raising" or even worse, sleeping with the enemy (that is, pretending he's Presbyterian and eats only biscuits).

There is pride in that defiance and an inborn conviction that by adhering to the rules of fashion or buying into the myth that money buys happiness -- well, that's the Cracker road to perdition. Soon you'll be putting sugar in your cornbread and drinking chai tea and sending your children to the Ivy League.

It's the thin end of the wedge.

My intention in writing this cookbook is to introduce readers (or for many, to reacquaint you) to this most original American subspecies that has greatly transcended its roots in the Colonial South, and now has children from Miami to Oregon, from Manhattan to California. This wide-ranging diaspora is well-documented along many tried and true migratory lines: Kentucky Crackers moved across the river to Ohio; Arkansans emptied out into Illinois, Arizona, and all points west; Alabamans packed up for Florida and Texas; and with the advent of the Greyhound bus, Georgia and Mississippi Crackers practically inherited the earth.

They left for the money, mostly, to labor in the coal mines of West Virginia and the engine shops of Detroit, and to become webfoot soldiers in service to our benevolent Uncle Sam. ...

I personally think it's time we rise up and introduce ourselves beyond the closest crossroads, and I heartily welcome you into my kitchen to celebrate the three pillars of Cracker life: food and laughter and food.

Relax, unwind, and don't sweat the fine print. The only rule of Cracker cooking is there are no rules. Just come, enjoy, and make these recipes your own. Add pepper, delete pepper; toss in a stick of butter or make it rigidly fat free.The secret to our long survival is our innate Cracker ability to mutate to fit the circumstances. If you're married to a Chinese man and like soy sauce, then throw in some soy sauce. If you're a vegetarian, then substitute tofu. The only things really sacred in Cracker Culture are faith, the love of family, and a certain holy reverence for the gift of telling a story with perfect comedic timing. Everything else is negotiable, including our food, and if you doubt my sincerity, read ahead to my section on wild game feasts and roadkill.

That is just a portion of the engaging and informative introduction to Janis Owen's cookbook in which she celebrates her Cracker heritage.

I'm not a Cracker or even a native Southerner but Owens makes me wish I was one. She has a lengthy and fascinating introduction to Crackers. The introduction has not only Owen's personal take on Crackers but traces the origins of the word and looks at their history as a people. She then proceeds to group her recipes by sections such as for a spring meal or soul food dinner. We not only get ideas of what to serve together but a great essay at the beginning of each section.

Her celebration does not stop at the delightful stories or frank and good natured recipe introductions. She includes black and white family photos with descriptions that give us a sense of place in long ago Florida. Her stories about religion as practiced by family members was both hilarious and insightful, as well as lovingly tolerant. Much more than a collection of recipes, this is an invitation to pull up a chair and see what makes a close knit group of Americans tick. And if you have a piece of Orange Pie while you're doing it, well, that's all the better.

As an additional example, I proffer this tidbit that shows Owen's honesty, openness, and humanity. Yes, I teared up a bit while reading. Grab a copy of the book for yourself and in between cooking meals read the rest of this.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday falls on January 15, and I offer up this soul-inspired menu in his honor and for all the rest of the heroes of the Movement: John Lewis and Ralph Abernathy and every single Yank, Jew, Episcopal pacifist, and student agitator among them. When they put their lives on the line and agitated Jim Crow into oblivion, they freed not only the people of color but also the children of the oppressor, who inherited the gift of diversity and eventually learned a better way (or at least some of them did; I did). It's a favor that can't be forgotten and won't be; not if this Cracker has anything to do with it."

[Kim Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

stories are better than the recipes -- but I'm a Yankee.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book filled with family recipes, family stories, menus for holiday celebrations, menus for life events, old family photographs, and a well researched discussion on the roots and various translations of the Cracker origin. The recipes look easy to prepare and are not overly fussy and detailed. The book is done in black and white. Missing are any photos of the food dishes. Even a few color "plates" inserted in the middle of the book would have added just that extra touch. Definitely worth checking out. I will pass on Chapter 3.I, Wild Game Days/Hunting Season with recipes for venison, rabbit, cooter, frog legs, armadillo, rattlesnake, possum, and squirrel!!

[AR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this from the library for the stories not the recipes and for ideas as to how to incorporate my stories and recipes. It exceeded my expectations in that respect. As for the recipes, my "Cracker" ancestors never put onions in our vegetables and it seemed like Mrs. Owens's family put them in everything. I think I may have found a few useful ones like the ambrosia, as it's similar to the one my grandma makes, and I may have found some guidance in how to mesh Mrs. Owens's father's biscuit recipe with my grandma's. I could relate to many of her stories, though, and really enjoyed the humor making it a real pleasure to read.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My FaVorite cook book EVER. Have used it so much you can barely read all the recipes anymore lol

I don't know why the name and description of this book is gone, except for the name. I guess it wasn't Politically Correct...

The Cracker Kitchen: A Cookbook in Celebration of Cornbread-Fed, Down Home Family Stories and Cuisine [Hardcover]
Janis Owens
Janis Owens (Author)
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(Author), Pat Conroy (Introduction)

[Just - The romance reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really appealing recipes. The author has included many authentic southern recipes, allowing the reader to get a real feel for what food in the south is all about. The downside of the book for me was the lack of photos. I prefer to see the recipes I am tempted by, and unfortunately I wasn't able to do that with this book. The Cracker Kitchen is still atleast worth a preview!

[Rebecca Huffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very entertaining book. It is much more than a collection of recipes. Janis Owens is a wonderful storyteller. She tells some very funny stories along with her great recipes. I had never heard of a "cracker" before I read this cookbook. Now that I've read The Cracker Kitchen I want to read some of her fiction novels.

[Irma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cookbook I enjoyed reading every word of. It’s about Florida Crackers which I am one of. And their foods. And about the author’s family life. No photographs. But a page or two for each recipe. And an introduction by Pat Conroy.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this because the foreword was by Pat Conroy. The recipes sound wonderful even though I don't usually cook. I will make some of these for church potlucks in the coming months.

[Mary Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a hoot! I learned so much about red-necks, etc. The photos are priceless & the recipes are great. (I skipped the ones about roadkill.)

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? This book has a recipe for squirrel and possum. The entertainment value alone is awsome.

[Rebecca Tolley · Rating 3 out of 5]

read my review on my food blog: http://www.potlikkery.com/2009/05/cra...

[Sharman Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cracker Kitchen is a five star cookbook that comes with spicy tales of a very close Southern family. I appreciate the recipes and relished the stories.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old fashioned Southern recipes with histories.