The Carolina Rice Kitchen: The African Connection

Description

A pioneering history of the Carolina rice kitchen and its African influences Where did rice originate? How did the name Hoppin' John evolve? Why was the famous rice called "Carolina Gold"? The rice kitchen of early Carolina was the result of a myriad of influences—Persian, Arab, French, English, African—but it was primarily the creation of enslaved African American cooks. And it evolved around the use of Carolina Gold. Although rice had not previously been a staple of the European plantation owners, it began to appear on the table every day. Rice became revered and was eaten at virtually every meal and in dishes that were part of every course: soups, entrées, side dishes, dessert, and breads. The ancient way of cooking rice, developed in India and Africa, became the Carolina way. Carolina Gold rice was so esteemed that its very name became a generic term in much of the world for the finest long-grain rice available. This engaging book is packed with fascinating historical details, including more than three hundred recipes and a facsimile of the Carolina Rice Cook Book from 1901. A new foreword by John Martin Taylor underscores Hess's legacy as a culinary historian and the successful revival of Carolina Gold rice. Cover The Carolina Rice Kitchen Title Copyright Dedication Contents Foreword to the New Edition Acknowledgments and Explanations CHAPTER 1 The Rice Kitchen of the South Carolina Low Country A Bit of History The Planters of Rice Rice and Its Origins Carolina Gold CHAPTER 2 To Boil the Rice The Boilers of Rice Practical Notes on Boiling Long-grain Rice CHAPTER 3 Pilau and its Kind The Pilau Comes West The Carolina Purlow The Receipts Lou Pelau Jambalaia, Jambalaya Pilau and the Jews of Provence CHAPTER 4 The Rice Casseroles of South Carolina CHAPTER 5 Hoppin’ John and Other Bean Pilaus of the African Diaspora What About All Those Names? Culinary Aspects of Hoppin’ John Hoppin’ John as Folk Cookery CHAPTER 6 Rice Soups CHAPTER 7 The Rice Breads of South Carolina Rice Journey, or Johnny Cakes Johnny Cake, The Name The Structure of Johnny Cakes Other Rice Breads and Cakes Rice Croquettes, or Fritters (Beignets de Riz) Practical Notes on Bread CHAPTER 8 Sweet Rice Dishes of South Carolina CHAPTER 9 Rice in Invalid Cookery CHAPTER 10 A Few Words on the Carolina Rice Cook Book and Its Contributors THE FACSIMILE APPENDIXES 1. Errata in the Text of the Carolina Rice Cook Book 2. Recipes for Making Bread, &c., from Rice Flour, ostensibly from the Charleston Gazette, as they appear in the Confederate Receipt Book (1863) 3. A Brief Glossary Notes Bibliography A Note on the Indexes General Index Receipt Index