Shuck Beans, Stack Cakes, and Honest Fried Chicken: The Heart and Soul of Southern Country Kitchens

by Ronni Lundy

Here is the first regional American cookbook to offer a true taste of the Mountain South. This unique cookbook gathers together more than 180 authentic down-home southern recipes -- full-flavored, no-nonsense dishes more and more Americans are returning to -- and leavens them with memories of food, family, and friendship from some of country music's most beloved performers. "Take a chicken and you kill it/And you put it in a skillet/And you fry it 'til it's golden-brown./That's southern cooking and it tastes mighty nice." -- "Kentucky Means Paradise" by Merle Travis "Straight from the heart and soul of southern cooking. It's a banquet, with background music." -- John Egerton, author of Southern Food; "Simple, honest cooking of the Mountain South. . . . A fresh, entertaining approach to food." -- Atlanta Constitution; "Reeks with authenticity." -- Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking

364 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1991

Reviews

[erl · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a kosher vegetarian, I have no use for these recipes. Almost all of them call for pig in some form--corn popped in bacon grease, anyone? And the salad recipes almost always call for gelatin, with nary a green vegetable in sight. Most of the dishes are made with simple ingredients and a ton of experience; plenty come with warnings not to expect to get it right the first time. I don't have time or money to waste on recipes that don't work. But I read this book cover to cover. Why? Ronni Lundy's writing is a down-home pleasure. Her love and respect for her family, especially her mother, come through with every recollection. She also interviews handful of country music stars and their cooking mommas, who discuss their favorite dishes and often share recipes. If Lundy has written a book that is just narrative, without the pork-laden recipes, I am sure to devour it. Meanwhile, I plan to give this volume to a friend from Kentucky.

[Celeste Crowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great primer for Mountain South cooking. If you grew up in the Mountain South and have access to all those country church cookbooks from your grandmother, mama, and the ones you’ve collected, it will feel like a complication of those. It does include a recipe for Salt Risen bread, a favorite that is hard to find!

[Lopeadro]

I can´t wait to read more

[Rex Jones]

I can't say that I ever finish reading this cookbook. If any of you out there have ever craved genuine Southern cooking, this is a book you definitely want to add to your cookbook shelf.

The recipe for Real Cornbread on pages 235-236 is alone worth the price of the book. I use this recipe as a side with real butter--not exactly heart healthy--and for cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The recipe for Oysters Cobbler Rockefeller on pages 102-104 is also delicious.

The Honest Fried Chicken recipe is as descriptive as it produces succulent fried chicken. Ronni Lundy has managed to weave heartwarming personal stories together with recipes for time-honored and genuine Southern cuisine.

Every now and again, you have to treat yourself to some food that, while it isn't 100% heart healthy, it is definitely 100% heart-warming.

[Avis Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better cultural histories about Southern food that I've come across. A delectable piece of reading.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one from the library, now I'm going to buy a copy. Reminds me of the food my grandmother and aunts used to make when we visited them in Virginia.

[Michael]

The best recipes for fried chicken and cornbread you'll ever try!

[Yvonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this cookbook on a sale table, and I am so glad I purchased it. Great cookbook with great stories.