Ronni Lundy (Sorghum's Savor) invites home cooks along for a road trip across the Southern Appalachians in Victuals--pronounced "vidls"--that's sure to stoke appetites and tug heartstrings.
Lundy reminisces about the meals of her childhood in Corbin, Ky.; interviews the farmers, restaurateurs and porch-sitting folks who carry on the slow food tradition of the region; and shares regional recipes, including familiar favorites like Skillet Fried Chicken and Milk Gravy, foraged bounty like Morels and Ramps with Eggs, and creative fusions like Kentucky Kimchi. The accompanying photographs bring Appalachia to life with landscapes presented in nostalgic black-and-white and food in vivid color, showing off glistening tomato slices as meaty as a rare steak, and egg yolk somewhere between the hue of butter and sunshine.
Culinary enthusiasts who enjoy deeper looks at the tradition surrounding their meals will love Lundy's essays exploring how food, economics and social life have intertwined in the Appalachian region. Casual cooks will stay for the fluffy buttermilk biscuits. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads