Classical Southern Cooking: A Celebration of the Cuisine of the Old South [Hardcover]

Damon Lee Fowler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 1995

Damon Lee Fowler valiantly preserves an endangered cuisine--Classical Southern--in this winning and evocative compendium of the food of the Old South. This is Southern cooking before pecan pie, before the food processor, and before the Colonel. Written in an affable style and brimming with recollections and lore, Fowler's book is a delightful celebration of Southern culture and cuisine. Line drawings..

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Architect and cooking teacher Fowler writes lovely, imagistic prose?the expansive chapter introductions and chatty margin notes packed into this affectionate, well-researched book are terrific. Although his recipes can be vague (Lettice Bryan's Almond Cones call for "3 egg whites, more or less"), this delectable document?drawn mainly from four mid-19th century cookbooks?is a valuable source book of ideas for practiced cooks. Among the offerings are Groundnut Soup with Oysters, Sauteed Ham with Red-eye Gravy, Maum Peggy's Breakfast Fry Breads and Annabella Hill's Deviled Crab. Fowler's loquaciousness results in occasional repetitiveness (we are reminded twice, for example, that hot tapwater contains trace chemicals) and some incongruous references to Italian cuisine and the author's friendship with Marcella Hazan. Yet his enthusiasm for his subject is irresistible. The chapters on vegetables, poultry and game, and "The Southern Baker's Art" are of special interest for both history and recipes.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Each of these authors offers a different perspective on Southern cooking, but all are determined to clear up some misconceptions about the food that is their heritage. And although little has been written until now about the African contribution to Southern cooking, these books make apparent the tremendous effect of slave cooks on the food of the South. Fowler, an architect-turned-food writer and cooking teacher, went back to the "golden age" of Southern cooking to refute those myths about pork fat and overcooked vegetables. The authors of four cookbooks published in the mid-1800s became his main resources, and with those women as guides, he has written an authoritative and fascinating cookbook and culinary history. Most of his recipes come from early cookbooks, with generous excerpts from their texts; all have been adapted if necessary for modern kitchens: Celery Bisque with Oysters, Fresh Pork with Sage, Annabella Hill's Stewed Tomatoes. Fowler has strong opinions but a sense of humor as well, and his narrative is absorbing; his cookbook/ reference is highly recommended. Novelist Sanders (Her Own Place, LJ 3/15/93) was raised on one of the oldest black-owned farms in South Carolina, near where she and some of her nine brothers and sisters run their farm and now-famous farmstand. Her homey recipes?e.g., Fresh Corn and Tomato Stew, Cantaloupe Peach Conserve?are organized around family stories and events. Sanders has a sly sense of humor, and her observations make engrossing reading. Recommended for most collections. Low-fat soul food may sound like a contradiction in terms, but Carter, a journalist who writes about health, shows there's more to the cooking she grew up on than cream gravies and bacon grease. She includes many recipes from her great-grandmother and grandfather, two of her greatest culinary influences, along with her mother and grandmother?Codfish Cakes, Cucumbers in Peppered Vinegar, Old-Fashioned Biscuits?as well as other Southern specialties and her own more upscale creations. She has lightened some traditional dishes, and while some may prefer to stick to the real thing, there are still lots of good recipes here. For most collections.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 420 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1 edition (October 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 051759353X
• ISBN-13: 978-0517593530
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #833,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Damon Lee Fowler is a nationally recognized authority on Southern cooking and its history. He is the author of six critically acclaimed cookbooks: Classical Southern Cooking; Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches; Fried Chicken; Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Kitchen; Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Baking; and most recently, The Savannah Cookbook. His books have been nominated for two Julia Child cookbook awards as well as a James Beard Foundation award. Fowler is the feature food writer for the Savannah Morning News as well as the founding board member and past president of the Southern Foodways Alliance. He lives in Savannah.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Without Equal!, December 22, 2003

By 

Marty O. "Bibliophile" (Brunswick, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Classical Southern Cooking: A Celebration of the Cuisine of the Old South (Hardcover)

Southern cooking is famous the world over. It defines comfort food. Simple, elegant, satisfying. The height of Southern cooking was before the "War of Northern Agression", and this book details this flavorful art. Starting with "Understanding Southern Cooking" and "The Classical Southern Kitchen" the author continues through every type of food in the Southern repetoire.

Recipes are from cookbooks of the era as well as manuscripts and family records. The only changes made are those necessitated by modern equipment and availability (most of us no longer cook over an open hearth.) Side notes explain the recipes,culture and alternatives. This is Southern cooking at it's best!

If Amazon.com ever gets this book back in stock, buy it. Buy extras for friends and relatives. My collection of cookbooks is measured by the yard. Nothing I have equals this one for ease of use, pleasure of reading, or soul-satisfying results.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic!, July 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Classical Southern Cooking: A Celebration of the Cuisine of the Old South (Hardcover)

I want this book! I borrowed a friend's copy and read it nearly cover to cover! Wonderful, real and truly southern recipes with stories and background to make the history of them live for newer southern cooks! A must have for anyone who loves heritage quality and usable recipes!

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make me first in line, June 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Classical Southern Cooking: A Celebration of the Cuisine of the Old South (Hardcover)

Please make me first in line for this one. Everything said of this book makes it a must for everyone. Send a copy to me if one becomes available.