Fascinating, optimistic and very readable. I learned so much about this troubled and contradictory place I call home, not just the extraordinary food.
Fascinating, optimistic and very readable. I learned so much about this troubled and contradictory place I call home, not just the extraordinary food.
Scenes from Nashville! We were there a few days. Older son looking into whether he wants to find a job there. Also visited Vanderbilt Univ with younger son (bottom middle). Spied two books in their bookstore I now want to read but didn‘t buy.
Also visited Country Music Hall of Fame, RCA Studio B (not pictured), full-scale replica of the Parthenon, Johnny Cash museum, downtown Nashville. Good times, but remains to be seen if we‘ll be back soon!
I‘m really into American food histories lately, and this was another excellent one. Focusing on Southern food since the 1950s, it covered so many topics - none very in depth, but all well enough that I kept thinking “I‘d love to read a whole book about that.” Some faves included food and civil rights activism; farming hippies; black-owned restaurants/chains; Edna Lewis; the rise of artisanal everything. Politically aware and great writing, too.
The highest praise that can be given to The Potlikker Papers is that it will have you thinking more about your food: where did it come from? Who cooked it? What does it mean that you‘re able to enjoy it today? While the book doesn‘t really live up to the end of its bargain as a full study on the etymology of southern food, it does paint a picture of a Southern food economy more complex than Black and White.
Nashville Reads is a season long Nashville City book club where we all join in reading the same book. The selection last year was March v.1 and this year is it the tagged book! All my local peeps check it out- a great book that I own but, as is the nature of my vast tbr, have only skimmed, not yet read! More info at #parnassusbooks website.
Just heard about this one on John Grisham's Book Tour podcast. Being from the south am excited to check it out!
Love love loved this. I grew up in Alabama and had no idea about the history behind Southern food and how Southern food was a part of the turbulent politics in the South. I just knew we ate what we ate and that was that. This book was absolutely fascinating! And it's great on audio because John T. Edge reads it himself and he's got kind of a dreamy voice in my opinion. (Not as good as Neil Gaiman's, but whose is?!)
Y'all. I don't even like to cook and this book is one of the best things I've read this year. Holy shit John T. Edge is brilliant. History of the south through food? Yes, please! And YUM.
Books about food are the best!
Just won this fantastic prize The Potlikker Papers&all these wonderful treats .Perfect to get the summer parties started Thank you @Penguinpress