Victuals, A Cookbook

Victuals, A Cookbook

We all love a hearty meal of comfort food every now and then. Sometimes it’s a piece of Granny’s fried chicken or a bowl of hearty beans. It’s a feeling and flavor that brings many of us home to a more comforting and stable time, something that brings us warmth and familiarity.

“Victuals” is a regional cookbook that concentrates on the people and foods of the Southern Appalachian mountains. It is truly a journey that one woman; Ronni Lundy, the author who was born in Corbin, a small town in Eastern Kentucky took to write this book. As a child her family moves to the city for work but visits “home” when they can. “Home” is where she cooks with relatives and enjoys the same traditions and recipes that her parents did.

Ms. Lundy, travels over 4000 miles criss-crossing several states to find and collect recipes in the region. She came back with beautiful vibrant stories from the new generation of locals. Their passion to bring back the same types of foods that their parents and grandparents before them was evident in each chapter. This type of revitalization is happening all through America as the search for the old foods and ways are beginning to become more main stream again. She has written nine previous books, is a founder of Southern Foodways Alliance and the Appalachian food summit. She is an accomplished woman.

"Victuals" is divided into eight chapters, the first titled roots and seeds. In this section you are taken through a small tidbit of history that helps explain how certain foods were introduced to the area. Here you find a recipe for roasted chicken and dumplings. Using meager ingredients they created the most delicious and soulful foods. For example, an old rooster was simmered slowly all day which created tender meat and an amazing rich broth.

From this book I prepared the buttermilk cucumber salad which is from the Beans chapter. We were still able to purchase the most wonderful cucumbers from the farmer’s market. They were not too big, but still sweet and crisp. This was easy to make and such a simple but flavorful dish. The buttermilk added a delicious tanginess and the dill was ideal in here. I will be making this again and again, next time using fresh basil.

Cucumber Salad with buttermilk, sliced red onions and fresh dill

Beautiful photography, local stories and down home recipes make this cookbook a delightful read. I would definitely recommend “Victuals” to anyone that enjoys honest real home cooked food.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.