The Appalachian region of America developed its own distinct culture—and iconic foods. Enjoy these Appalachian-inspired recipes for cornbread, stack cake, pickled vegetables and more.
Generations of mountain cooks have made the most of ingredients sourced from their own backyards. Their recipes comfort and sustain us — in western North Carolina and beyond.
From pear salad and tomato pudding to vinegar pie and bacon crackers, we're more than ready for these old-school classics to make a comeback
On any given Sunday in Appalachia a pot of Chicken and Dumplings will likely be simmering on the stove after church. And without a doubt, this mountain staple will be at every church gathering, family reunion, post-funeral meal and most likely a wedding reception in the hollers and hills. Today, when the boys came in from a long day at school, they walked came home to the smell of Chicken and Dumplings on the stove. This is ultimate comfort food for my boys. And on a day when I sent a magazine to print, made 100 biscuits, 4 pans of brownies and 100 Chocolate Chip cookies (no exaggeration), this meal was about the easiest thing I could conjure up on a whim. The components of Chicken and Dumplings are basic. Chicken stock, biscuit dough and...that's it. You could fancy it up with chunks of chicken, vegetables and herbs but at its most basic form you need nothing more than stock and biscuits. In Mongolia we had something similar made with a flour and water dumpling dough and a clear broth. Actually, I imagine every culture probably has their own version. Stock: I love to make homemade chicken stock. I've talked about it plenty of times here on the blog. Its a easy as saving your leftover rotisserie chicken bones, some vegetables like onion, carrot and celery and water. Simmer on the stove top or in a crock pot till golden in color and voila. Chicken stock. Dumplings: I have tried my hand at many-a-dumpling recipes over the years. Some call for cornmeal. That's not really a favorite of ours. Some recipes simply call for Bisquick. Again, we're not huge fans. I use this recipe and instead of forming shaped biscuits I cut the dough into small, ping pong ball sized chunks. You could even do this step ahead of time, rolling each dough piece in flour and putting them in a bowl in the fridge for a couple of hours. Chicken and Dumplings: Once the stock is ready (you can always use store bought, of course) bring it to a rolling boil. The amount of stock you'll need just depends on the amount you think you'll eat. In the mountains you'll typically find a really, really, really big pot of chicken and dumplings boiling on the stove because inevitably, there will be company. Here at The Smith Homestead I keep it to around 6-8 cups of stock and 1/2 a batch of biscuit dough. That seems to feed 5 mouths just perfectly. Once the stock is boiling, start dropping the small dough balls into the boiling liquid. Trust me, you may be tempted to cut corners and just start dropping heaping spoonfuls of dough into the stock. I wouldn't recommend. They grow exponentially in size as they cook and before you know it there will be no liquid remaining because these enormous baseballs have taken over the pot. Almost immediately they will begin puffing up and rising to the top. This is a good thing. Just keep dropping the dough balls in. They'll sink to the bottom and then rise when they're ready. Go ahead and crowd the dough balls in there. Its not like searing a piece of meat. No need to do this in batches. Once its all in the pot, cover it with a lid and continue to slowly boil (not rapid boil) the dumplings for 10 minutes. Taste. If they seem overly gluey, they probably aren't done. Keep cooking. The end texture of the dumpling should be soft. Not too chewy, not too gummy. Just perfectly dumpling like. The broth will have thickened naturally, making the end result a really hearty liquid for the dumplings to swim in. Season with salt and pepper and ladle into bowls. Again, you could add shredded chicken, vegetables (it has a similar flavor to chicken pot pie filling so it makes sense) or fresh herbs like chopped parsley. Give it a go and tell me what you think~ I'm pretty sure it might become a staple in your fall comfort food repertoire too.
Ramp season is fleeting—all the more reason to have a game plan before spring. Make the most of spring with these pastas, fritters, and more.
Pawpaw fruit with dates make a very unique muffin. Appalachian Pawpaw Muffins By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime It's Muffin Monday again and for September I am really excited as I came across some Appalachian Pawpaws which we have a lot of in Ohio and decided to try my hand at using the fruit in muffins. Around the world pawpaws can be different things- sometimes people think of it as a papaya. But that isn't the kind of fruit I am referring to here. Pawpaws actually resemble a kidney-bean shaped ataulfo mango, but the similarity ends on the outside. Inside,
My mom loved to bake this sky-high apple stack cake. Layer the apple goodness two days before serving. Later, a dusting of confectioners' sugar is the only topping you'll need. —LeVa Clement, Jackson, Missouri
Appalachian soup beans, an American staple from the Eastern US mountains- made simply with beans, simple seasonings, fatback, and sometimes ham.
One of the secrets of the Appalachian South is a traditional tomato gravy often served over biscuits for breakfast or over meats, potatoes and rice at other meals. Appalachian Tomato Gravy By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime Appalachian Tomato Gravy is not the kind of tomato gravy you might expect for Italian gravy (as they call it Sunday Gravy, although many Italians disagree on the use of the word). This is more Southern Appalachian in nature, and definitely IS what you call a gravy. It is a favorite for having at breakfast, especially on biscuits. Now even though my family
The story of salt-rising bread
Get inspired by the original mountain comfort food with these Appalachian recipes. Hearty ingredients and simple recipes make these a hit at the campsite!
Fresh varieties of lettuce are topped with a delicious dressing of bacon fat and vinegar - watch out for the popping when the grease "kills" the lettuce!
In the southern Appalachian Mountains, green beans were cooked at the back of the stove in a bacon-seasoned broth with new potatoes added in the final part of the long, slow process. The result is a vegetable dish so imbued with meaty flavor that it was regularly served as the main part of an otherwise meatless meal with slaw, fresh tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, raw onion and cornbread. Here the meaty flavor in this vegetarian green bean recipe is created without pork by using smoked Spanish paprika and olive oil. Look for smoked paprika with other spices in well-stocked supermarkets.
Here at Tupelo Honey, we find a way to Southern-ize the least-Southern of recipes. Our creative, Appalachian twist on everyone’s favorite Asian appetizer – the egg roll – involves deep frying pulled pork and fresh spring vegetables in a crispy, golden shell. Dip ’em in our Smoked Jalapeño Sauce and you’ll be saying “Shoo Mercy!” This recipe involves a few […]
This wonderful Appalachian Apple Stack Cake recipe has been around for decades, and is one that will please even the toughest dessert critic.
From pear salad and tomato pudding to vinegar pie and bacon crackers, we're more than ready for these old-school classics to make a comeback
Had a lot of request for my Maysville Transparent pie recipe. Or what locals call it, “George Pie” because it’s George Clooney’s favorite desert This is the way mamaw made it. HAS ZERO WATER 1...
"Victuals," Ronni Lundy's new cookbook, explores the delicious food and traditions of the mountains she came from.
Cakes and cookies baked during the holiday were thought to have special powers.
Find and share everyday cooking massive collection of the best recipes. Discover From international Kitchens to Quick and Easy Meal Ideas, Delicious Recipes, Healthy Eating Advices,Cooks, Videos, and How-To's based on the food you love..
Cara Rose, Executive Director Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau What is it about biscuits? I think what makes the Appalachian biscuit better than Pillsbury’s is the art of making something delicious – fast, with simple ingredients. The biscuit was an easy way to put bread on the table every day. And it was inexpensive [...]
You may know more Appalachian recipes than you think; Appalachian food is part of Southern food culture. But these dishes definitely have a mountain flavor.
Wild-foods expert and author Hank Shaw shares one of his favorite Appalachian recipes with us, his famous turkey bean soup.
Moonshine has an air of anti-hero, outlaw romance to it- like pirates and their rum, moonshiners and their corn whiskey are the stuff of law-bucking adventure tales. Once brewed in deep-woods still…
You may know more Appalachian recipes than you think; Appalachian food is part of Southern food culture. But these dishes definitely have a mountain flavor.
The South is famous for it's pies, and the roster is long and honorable. But perhaps none inspires more nostalgia than a fried apple pie; those handheld half-moons of tender pastry encasing a delicately spiced dried apple or dried peach filling. Although the name implies it, most homemade fried pies are not deep-fried, but rather they're cooked in a cast-iron skillet until they are golden brown. Fried pies have long been popular in the Mountain South, where hearthside baking in a trusty iron skillet was perfected in the days before ovens were common in most homes. NOTE: Time does not include resting time. Much of the cooking time is inactive time.
Find and share everyday cooking massive collection of the best recipes. Discover From international Kitchens to Quick and Easy Meal Ideas, Delicious Recipes, Healthy Eating Advices,Cooks, Videos, and How-To's based on the food you love..
Who doesn't love crumb cake with a cup of tea or coffee? This version has the cake topped with a homemade plum jam.
"Victuals," Ronni Lundy's new cookbook, explores the delicious food and traditions of the mountains she came from.
Linda Skeens won 25 blue ribbons at the Virginia-Kentucky District Fair. Now, Skeens has released her cookbook, filled with recipes, tips and descriptions of her life in Appalachia.
The cookbooks and cultural ephemera you need to really understand the Mountain South.
A blog inspiring those with roots in Appalachia to celebrate their heritage and embrace their southern Appalachian mountain culture.
DIY Marzetti's Slaw Dressing is easy to make from scratch for your favorite coleslaw and salad recipes during the summer grilling season.
