(by 23 people)
This lens will focus on Southern Cooking in all it's glory. We'll look at some history, some recipes and break it down to it's basic parts, Soul Food, Country Cooking, Cajun, Creole, Low Country and BBQ.
The Ravenous Guide
Navigating Around the Ravenous Guide
- Ravenous
- The Ravenous blog. My daily take on food, cooking, nutrition and the most interesting food writing of the day.
- The Ravenous Homepage
- Start here to find any Ravenous resource.
- The Ravenous Guide to Cajun Cooking
- First we'll disabuse of the notion that blackened chicken has anything to do with Cajun cooking. Then we'll dig into the cooking and culture of the Acadians who migrated to rural Lousiana.
- The Ravenous Guide to Eating Like Elvis
- If you want to eat like the King then this is the place. This lens will shine a light on the King's favorite foods and how to make them. It will look at the King's favorite places to eat and stories about the King and his food.
- The Ravenous Guide to Creole Cooking - coming soon
- What happens when an African sensibility is applied to local ingredients with French technique.
- The Ravenous Guide to Gumbo - coming soon
- A focus on all things Gumbo.
- The Ravenous Guide to Barbecue - coming soon
- Taking tough cuts of meat and turning them into succulent, mouthwatering plates of Southern goodness one hunk at time.
- The Ravenous Guide to Florida Cooking - coming soon
- From the Caribbean inflected cuisine of Miami, to the Gulf Coast to the down home Southern cooking of the Panhandle, there's more to Florida's cuisine than you might think.
- The Ravenous Guide to Southern Desserts - coming soon
- From the people who came up with phrase "Gimme some sugar." to get a kiss.
- The Ravenous Guide to Preserving, Pickling, Put Ups, Relishes and Chow Chows - coming soon
- Just because it's sour and sitting on your shelf doesn't mean it can't be delicious.
Recipes | Resources |Blogs & Headlines |Bookstore |Gear
VIDEO: How to Eat a Crawfish
From Les Blank's documentary Always for Pleasure.CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Archived by the University of California Berkeley Media Resources Center.
- - - R E C I P E S - - -
Key Southern Recipes from Saveur Magazine
Their recipes are always authentic, delicious and sound.
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- From the article Mama Lou's Thanksgiving
- Mashed Potatoes
- From the article Mama Lou's Thanksgiving
- Candied Yams
- From the article Mama Lou's Thanksgiving
- Corn Pudding
- From the article Mama Lou's Thanksgiving
- Artichoke Dip
- This quintessential appetizer is served all across the South, from New Orleans to Norfolk, Virginia. The recipe, from John T. Edge's A Gracious Plenty, originally appeared in a community cookbook called Among the Lilies, published in 1992 by the First Baptist Church of Atlanta.
- Barbecue Ribs
- From the article: The Belly of Soul Memphis traditions run deep and true, in cooking as in the blues.
- Fried Catfish and Tartar Sauce
- From the article: The Belly of Soul Memphis traditions run deep and true, in cooking as in the blues.
- Turnip Greens
- From the article: The Belly of Soul Memphis traditions run deep and true, in cooking as in the blues.
- Gus's Fried Chicken
- From the article: The Belly of Soul Memphis traditions run deep and true, in cooking as in the blues.
- Cornmeal Fritters
- From the article: The Belly of Soul Memphis traditions run deep and true, in cooking as in the blues.
- Georgene's Fluffy Rolls
- From the article: The Belly of Soul Memphis traditions run deep and true, in cooking as in the blues.
- Boudin Balls
- From the article East of Houston, West of Baton Rouge.
- Crawfish Etoufee
- From the article East of Houston, West of Baton Rouge.
- Smother Fried Mashed Potatoes
- From the article East of Houston, West of Baton Rouge.
- Benedictine Sandwich Spread
- Benedictine sandwiches may not have the universal appeal of the mint julep, but they are, nevertheless, a rich Louisville tradition-especially during Derby Days, the height of Kentucky's tea-party season. Based on a green-tinged cucumber-onion-cream cheese spread, Benedictine sandwiches are named not for an order of monks, but for Miss Jennie C. Benedict. . . . In 1893, she expanded her business to include a tea shop, and it was there that the sandwiches first appeared.
- Pimento Cheese
- There are as many variations on pimento cheese as there are opinionated southern cooks. Worcestershire sauce, green olives, even water chestnuts are just some possible additions. This version comes from Doris Kemp, owner of Mammy's Cupboard in Natchez, Mississippi.
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- A classic done right for the Thanksgiving table.
- Jay Bob Grelen's Sweet Tea
- From the article True Blue Don't Mess With a Southerner's Tea.
Key Southern Dessert Recipes from Saveur Magazine
- Sweet Potato Pie Filling
- From the article Mama Lou's Thanksgiving.
- Pecan Pie Filling
- From the article Mama Lou's Thanksgiving.
- Vinegar Pie
- From the article The Belly of Soul Memphis traditions run deep and true, in cooking as in the blues.
A Few More Key Southern Desserts
- Red Velvet Cake
- Patricia Mitchell brings home a fine, well-written recipe for Red Velvet Cake and throws in an interesting parallel between an old urban myth about Red Velvet Cake and a current urban myth about Neiman Marcus cookies.
- Joe's Key Lime Pie
- Trad recipe from Joe's Stone Crab in Miami.
In 1913, Joe Weiss opened up a small lunch counter on Miami Beach. Back then, Miami Beach was just a quiet, backwater town. Folks stopped in to chat and for a top-notch fish sandwich and fries.
- R E S O U R C E S -
Southern Cooking Resources Online
- The Southern Foodways Alliance
- Located in Mississippi, their mission is to celebrate, preserve, promote, and nurture the traditional and developing diverse food cultures of the American South. Membership information, scheduled events and reading recommendations
- Southern Foodways Alliance: Oral History Project
- An oral history project that covers a number of subjects:
Barbecue
-Memphis BBQ | --Rural TN BBQ
Bartenders of N.O. | Birmingham Greeks | Kentucky Bacon
Mississippi Delta
Doe's Eat Place | Greenwood MS | Tamale Trail
Ole Miss Cooks | Oxford Restaurants
SFA Founders - Recipes from Hoppin John's
- Recipes from Charleston, S.C. author John Martin Taylor. I believe Taylor is the finest southern cookbook author out there. In fact after Maida Heatter, he might be the best cookbook author I know of.
- Wikipedia: Cuisine of the Southern United States
- Excellent overview of the ingredients, history and cultural influences of Southern cooking with brief looks at Creole, Cajun and Appalachian cooking.
- Wikipedia: Soul Food
- A well put together backgrounder on Soul Food.
- Wikipedia: Barbecue
- Not as authorative as some Wikipedia entries, this is still a good place to start for background on barbecue.
- Wikipedia: Cajun Cuisine
- Answers to the questions - why is Cajun cooking spicier outside of Louisiana? and what's the difference between Creole and Cajun?
- Wikipedia: Louisiana Creole Cuisine
- Very basic primer. Lot's of links in the text to flesh out concepts like: Beignets, Red Beans and Rice and Oysters Rockafeller.
- Wikipedia: Floribbean
- A brief look at the Caribbean and Southern influence in Florida cooking and cuisine.
- The Creole and Cajun Recipes Page
- From Chuck Taggart's The Gumbo Pages. Start off links to discussions of the difference between Cajun and Creole cooking and why a hamburger dredged in cayenne pepper isn't really a Cajun Burger.
Then move on to the recipes, some of which are his from his site and others he points to on other websites. Solid, sound recipes. - Great Cajun Cooking
- This is a damn good site for recipes.
B L O G S & H E A D L I N E S
Potlikker
A Southern Food Blog
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Southern Cooking from About.com
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BOOKSTORE: Cookbooks I Swear By
Charleston Receipts
This Junior League Cookbook first published in 1950 has been in print ever since, the longest of any Junior League cookbook. Considered the best of the genre.
When I was pastry chef at the Tohono Chul Tea Room in Tucson and I need fresh ideas for tea sweets for High Tea every afternoon, this was my go-to cookbook. I could always find an elegant, delicious recipe that worked.
If you want to cook as well as the best housewife in Charleston, SC in 1950, then this is the book for you.
- M.B.
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Cookin' with Queen Ida, Revised 2nd Edition: Bon Temps Creole Recipes (and Stories) from the Queen of Zydeco Music (And Stories from the Queen of Zydeco Music)
A treasure of colorful stories and colorful recipes. Pay attention, follow the recipes and you'll be eating at the Queen's table.
- M.B.
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The Florida Cookbook: From Gulf Coast Gumbo to Key Lime Pie--KCA Pbk (Knopf Cooks American Series)
I lost an entire box of cookbooks when I moved from Tucson to NYC. Of all the books in that box, I miss this one the most. My recipe for Ropa Vieja started here.
-M.B.
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White Trash Cooking (Jargon)
If need to know how much cottage cheese to spoon on some canned pears to make pear salad then this is the book for you.
-M.B.
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BOOKSTORE: John Taylor Martin Cookbooks
Cookbooks by the finest cookbook author in the South
Hoppin' John's Low Country Cooking
John Martin Taylor knows more about Low Country cooking than anybody on the planet. He also has an unerring feel for creating delicious food. The introductory chapter of this book on setting up and managing your kitchen is the best thing that I've read on this subject.
- M.B.
Release Date: 04/01/1992
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Hoppin' John's Charleston, Beaufort & Savannah: Dining at Home in the Lowcountry
John Martin Taylor conjures a dream world of hearty pre-hunt breakfasts, sumptuous Sunday brunches, elegant afternoon teas and charming dinners with friends through with this collection of flawless recipes and gourgeous photographs.
The lemon bar recipe is the best you'll ever find, elevating lemon bars to a level you'd never thought possible. I've been using the Roquefort Pecan Wafer recipe to baffle and stun guests for years.
- M.B.
Release Date: 03/25/1997
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The New Southern Cook: 200 Recipes from the South's Best Chefs and Home Cooks
I have to admit that I don't own this cookbook, but I have so much faith in Taylor that I'll stake my reputation on this being a great book. Sight unseen. After Maida Heatter, he's the best damn cookbook writer I know of.
- M.B.
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The Fearless Frying Cookbook
A book on frying by a man with impeccable technique.
- M.B.
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BOOKSTORE: Time/Life Foods of the World
Southern cooking titles from the Time/Life series Foods of the World. I contend that the Foods of the World series is the best kitchen resource (aside from a Chinese cleaver) in the world for the serious cook.
. . . 
Recipes: American Cooking: Southern Style (Foods of the World)
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American cooking: Creole and Acadian (Foods of the world)
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Recipes: American cooking : Creole and Acadian (Foods of the world)
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Recipes: American Cooking: Southern Style (Foods of the World)
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BOOKSTORE: Cornbread Nation
Cornbread Nation 1: The Best of Southern Food Writing
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Cornbread Nation 2: The United States of Barbecue (Cornbread Nation: Best of Southern Food Writing)
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Cornbread Nation 3: Foods of the Mountain South (Cornbread Nation: Best of Southern Food Writing)
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BOOKSTORE: Barbecue
Barbecue! Bible : Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades, Bastes, Butters, and Glazes
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BOOKSTORE: Cajun and Creole
Creole Gumbo and All That Jazz: A New Orleans Seafood Cookbook
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![Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook...and the Story of the Fabulous New Orleans Restaurant [The Original Classic Recipes]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51W9R6R4Q4L._SL75_.jpg)
Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook...and the Story of the Fabulous New Orleans Restaurant [The Original Classic Recipes]
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Favre Family Cookbook: Three Generations of Cajun and Creole Cooking from the Gulf Coast
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BOOKSTORE: Soul Food
Sylvia's Family Soul Food Cookbook: From Hemingway, South Carolina, To Harlem
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The Healthy Soul Food Cookbook: How to Cut the Fat but Keep the Flavor
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The Historical Cookbook of the American Negro (Cookery)
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BOOKSTORE: Country Cooking
White Trash Cooking (Jargon)
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More White Trash Cooking
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White Trash Gatherings: From-scratch Cooking for Down-home Entertaining
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BOOKSTORE: Low Country
The New Low-Country Cooking: 125 Recipes for Coastal Southern Cooking with Innovative Style
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Hoppin' John's Low Country Cooking
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Low Country Cooking:: a southern cookbook
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Sound Off
Share your thoughts and experience.
Point us towards a great recipe, a good book or let us know about something that went horribly awry.
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wowreviews
Hi Marc! Great lens. I loved the Baked Macaroni Posted May 24, 2007 |
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lesleyprice
Hi, just love this lense. I have allways struggled with good southern recipe ideas but now I have plenty to work with. No real disaster to share but I will let you know when I have tested a few of your recipes. Posted September 20, 2006 |
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