The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South

This is a historical review of Southern food, its origins, developments and its future. Covers the parts of history that need to be told no matter how bad. The interconnectivity of chefs, restaurants and how things occurred were the highlights. Happy to recall places I have eaten and chefs that I know mentioned. Great work!!!!

The southern foodways alliance does amazing things in the southern communities in which they live and work. This book highlights the importance of southern cuisine. Once in awhile you’ll read a book that truly changes your life and your views of the world around you; thanks for delivering that for me with this wonderful book John! I e always sought local food sources, but now I spend more time contemplating why we eat what we do in the south, and the stories of those people who create the diverse food of the South.

One of my favorite storytellers. Absolutely love his work on True South on SEC. Book was fine but really needed some long lost recipes;one of the main reasons I ordered it hoping it would. Maybe he will do a new book for recipes that have been shared with him on his travels. Please. Until then I will be waiting for new season of True South.

I enjoyed the history lesson.

Edge is a great writer pursuing an interesting topic. His fascination with the culinary history of this socially complicated region combines with a comprehensive knowledge of the 'new south's food makers and the wide variety of lineages which have delivered them to their current positions. This book is both an enjoyable read and informative one. Highly recommended.

This book is sort of like a gumbo where each individual part is tasty, but just does not come together as a whole. It reads as if there is one, smaller BOOK which wants to come out of it (the beginning and the end, which is a history of the relationship of racism and industrialization of food production, and this part would hold together as an excellent, informative , much needed book), and a series of essays on Southern food, that don't really seem to relate to each other - sort of like a symposium in a journal, or something like that. The materials are all interesting, it's just very easy to stop, anywhere, and not feel like you're compelled to go forward, by what you've already read. Also, and people may disagree with this, to this reader, there is a problem with "sourcing." No footnotes. Everything is documented, at the end, in a "notes to pages x-y" sort of format, but this makes it very difficult to know WHEN the author is leading you to a primary source or not , because there's nothing up front. I would have preferred numbered footnotes, or some other way of knowing what is the author's, and what is coming from another source. It's worth reading , but it could have been much better.

Book is like new. I think John T. Edge is one of the best writer's dealing with the South and the foods of the South. I have all the Corn Bread Nation books. It was boxed for shipping, much better than the assorted bags and envelopes used.

This writer knows his territory! Marvelous perspectives and keen insights on the subtleties of Southern cuisine.