Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit with Over 70 Sweet and Savory Recipes

by Erika Council

A love letter to the Southern biscuit, honoring its place in Black culinary culture and beyond with over 70 delicious recipes.

Still We Rise is a tribute to the glories of flour, butter, and buttermilk baked tall, tender, and flaky. Erika Council is the founder and head baker of the renowned Bomb Biscuit Company in Atlanta, Georgia. The granddaughter of legendary soul food chef Mildred (Mama Dip) Council and a teacher and activist who cooked and baked to support the civil rights movement, Erika knows all about the power of the persistent biscuit.

Here, Erika has perfected traditional biscuit types alongside inventive new creations. Her recipes connect readers to stories of the family, friends, and Southern culinary icons who instilled in her a love of baking.

Through over 70 unique recipes for biscuits, spreads, sandwiches, and a convenient home biscuit mix that will have you whipping up fluffy biscuits and bis-cakes in minutes, Erika takes us on a journey through Black excellence, resilience, and heritage in the American South. Step into her world and enjoy her classic Bomb Buttermilk Biscuit , the lightest Angel Biscuits, and new favorites like Corn Milk Biscuits , Everything “Bagel” Biscuits, Hominy Honey Butter, and the Glori-Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwich, (plus a mind-blowing Cinnamon Sugar and Pecan Biscuit ).

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Southern

208 pages, Hardcover

Published July 25, 2023

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erika Council is the owner and chef of the Bomb Biscuit Company in Atlanta, Georgia. She's also the granddaughter of Mildred Council, better known as Mama Dip (I've had the pleasure of eating at Mama Dip's restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC). Council grew up around food and baking but never saw herself working in the food industry. She always loved making biscuits and started out doing pop-up events and catering, then opened her restaurant in 2021. In Still We Rise she explores everything biscuit and also the role of Black women in cooking. She tells several personal stories about the women in her family who she learned from and mentored her. I just love the title of this cookbook too - it has so many levels of meaning. I also love that she's from NC even though she's in Atlanta now.

Being from the South, biscuits and macaroni & cheese are how I judge a Southern restaurant. You can't represent the South and make a terrible biscuit. I make biscuits for myself every single week and even though I have a tried and true recipe, there are SEVERAL of Council's recipes that I'd like to try. And I'll definitely check out her restaurant if I'm in Atlanta again.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mouth actually watered while reading this book! And it has masses of great remembrances, Black history, and heart.

[anklecemetery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this generally but have only made two recipes so far. It’s slightly odd at times - only one or two ingredients are given in grams, even when it would make sense to give weights for other ingredients in the recipe. I may revise my rating after trying a few more recipes, but I don’t know that this is a book I would buy.

Recipe head notes are lovely and engaging; photos are well lit and helpful.

[Shawna Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fellowship Hall Biscuits and Pimento Cheese on my list to make!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great storytelling, great food writing!

[V Dixon]

No one really thinks of the versatility of biscuits. As yo read this book, you are reminded there are so may type of biscuit.
I like the way the author titled the book. Still we rise reminds me of tell them we are rising.
If you live in the Southern portion of the USA then you will understand the importance of biscuits.

[Marilea Grider · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous cookbook! I made the Bomb biscuits and they were perfection. The best I have ever made. I initially borrowed the ebook and after reading through it, bought the hardback. It is a worthy addition to any cookbook library and the stories about her family and Black chefs are wonderful to read. I highly recommend this one!

[S Vanorse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I caught a video of Council’s restaurant with her making biscuits, I’m always looking for a good homemade biscuit and what sets it apart from others. The Bomb Buttermilk looked like what I was after, I’m a little hesitant to give it a try as 2 videos and 2 recipes of it, provided by Council vary, so I borrowed the book from the library, more confusing, ingredient amounts, techniques. Buttermilk amounts vary greatly, cookbook, 1 1/2 cups, video with printable recipe 1 3/4 cups, another video you can zoom in on measuring cup it clearly shows 1 1/4 cups, and she only puts half of it in the dry mix and calls it enough, used the rest to brush the tops. Instructions say to roll half inch but clearly in all demonstrations and photos of her cutting them it’s more like an inch. I feel like I’m being set up for failure, I want to duplicate what you make, just like your restaurant, set us up for success if you going to give a recipe and do a cookbook be like Ina Garten, that woman never fails anyone.

[Jess Because · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently visited Bomb Biscuit Co. while in Atlanta. I hadn’t done my research about the restaurant prior like I typically do, because I was just looking to support a Black-Owned Business that morning. I ordered a lemon-pepper biscuit and some grits and when I walked out I immediately tagged them in my socials & ordered this cookbook so it was at my doorstep when I returned to Michigan. This has only happened one other time in Atlanta. I had no expectations when reading this book, but it made me better. I know that sounds crazy when referencing a cookbook, but it was so well written. The connection from food to history to family was so heartfelt. Reading this cookbook reminded me of my time in the kitchen with my loved ones and has inspired me to get back to baking. Isn’t that what a cookbook should do?

[Joan Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed reading this book after checking it out from the library. There are so many recipes I want to make. I'm making the Butter Swim Biscuits for Sunday supper. I made the hominy honey butter and have in fridge to go with biscuits. I liked the book so much I ordered it. I had the pleasure of eating at Mama Dips years ago and got to meet Mama Dip. I have all of her cookbooks and one signed by her.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am lucky enough to be married to a woman who enjoys making biscuits, and it just so happens that I enjoy eating biscuits, so when this title popped up on Edelweiss, I pre-ordered a copy from my local independent bookseller. We have never been disappointed by these recipes: they're all excellent, and they are options for whatever kind of food mood you're in. If you know someone who bakes, this title is a must-have.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful book, lovingly put together. Unfortunately for me, it relies heavily on buttermilk and cream. I'm mildly lactose intolerant and my husband is very lactose intolerant. I've got some workarounds but most require math. The book sporadically gives some ingredients in grams but not enough to make it easy.

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a joke: favorite cookbook of the year for me. This is beyond fantastic. Life changing loveliness on every page. From candidly written baking advice to the amazing photography to the personal photographs of various influential family members, this book has heart and love and biscuits! Oh, the biscuits!!!!

[Lexie Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read of a cookbook. This biscuit cookbook provides very helpful instructions on how to make biscuits, which is a new goal for me this new year.

I went through the book and chose the biscuits I’d like to learn how to make. Then I copied the recipe for each. My next step is to start baking! I’m looking forward to baking my first biscuits from scratch!

[Katie McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing collection of recipes, knowledge and stories. I have read this cookbook like a novel, coming away with an appreciation of the humble biscuit and the erasure of black women from the culinary world. I have made 2 recipes so far, and look forward to making more variations soon.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely mix of family and history storytelling coupled with biscuit recipes. Plus creative items I want to try like Honey Hominy Butter (tastes like spreadable popcorn, she writes!), Tomato Jam, and Corn Milk Biscuits.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book will have some swooning over the various biscuit recipes, it's a bit more advanced than I would like/need, plus many have lard, duck fat, etc. Still, lovely pics, excellent cookbook, a must for public libraries.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. I’m not a baker, but these biscuits look to be worth the effort.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is everything I want in a cookbook: lush photos of each recipe, beefy pages that will hold up to frequent use, and recipes that I'll come back to again and again.

[Cecelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures, easy to follow recipes, nice narrative additions. And, I made buttermilk biscuits y'all!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Who doesn't love a biscuit? An amazing collection of all kinds of biscuits with lovely things to put on/between them.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t buy many books but this one I most certainly did!

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The variety of different biscuit recipes and the stories in this cookbook are excellent. I tried three and enjoyed them, however, my previous biscuit recipe produces flakier biscuits than these.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely book devoted almost entirely to biscuits. Nothing in particular stood out to keep, but I would love to try any of them.

[Roy Kenagy]

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[Linda Jung · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a cookbook

[Awjtf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great recipes and lots of pictures! I love recipe books with pictures and personal stories as well.

[Dray · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best biscuit book I have read. Delicious, heart centered and educational. A gift for cooks.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very delicious read!

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biscuit recipes