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Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks
Win a free print copy of this book!
14 days and 19:42:21
50 copies available
U.S. only
A lyrical culinary journey that explores the hidden legacy of Black Appalachians, through powerful storytelling alongside nearly forty comforting recipes, from the former poet laureate of Kentucky.
People are always surprised that Black people reside in the hills of Appalachia. Those not surprised that we were there, are surprised that we stayed.
Years ago, when O. Henry Prize-winning writer Crystal Wilkinson was baking a jam cake, she felt her late grandmother’s presence. She soon realized that she was not the only cook in her kitchen; there were her ancestors, too, stirring, measuring, and braising alongside her. These are her kitchen ghosts, five generations of Black women who settled in Appalachia and made a life, a legacy, and a cuisine.
An expert cook, Wilkinson shares nearly forty family recipes rooted deep in the past, full of flavor—delicious favorites including Corn Pudding, Chicken and Dumplings, Granny Christine’s Jam Cake, and Praisesong Biscuits , brought to vivid life through stunning photography. Together, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts honors the mothers who came before, the land that provided for generations of her family, and the untold heritage of Black Appalachia.
As the keeper of her family’s stories and treasured dishes, Wilkinson shares her inheritance in Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. She found their stories in her apron pockets, floating inside the steam of hot mustard greens and tucked into the sweet scent of clove and cinnamon in her kitchen. Part memoir, part cookbook, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts weaves those stories together with recipes, family photos, and a lyrical imagination to present a culinary portrait of a family that has lived and worked the earth of the mountains for over a century.
People are always surprised that Black people reside in the hills of Appalachia. Those not surprised that we were there, are surprised that we stayed.
Years ago, when O. Henry Prize-winning writer Crystal Wilkinson was baking a jam cake, she felt her late grandmother’s presence. She soon realized that she was not the only cook in her kitchen; there were her ancestors, too, stirring, measuring, and braising alongside her. These are her kitchen ghosts, five generations of Black women who settled in Appalachia and made a life, a legacy, and a cuisine.
An expert cook, Wilkinson shares nearly forty family recipes rooted deep in the past, full of flavor—delicious favorites including Corn Pudding, Chicken and Dumplings, Granny Christine’s Jam Cake, and Praisesong Biscuits , brought to vivid life through stunning photography. Together, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts honors the mothers who came before, the land that provided for generations of her family, and the untold heritage of Black Appalachia.
As the keeper of her family’s stories and treasured dishes, Wilkinson shares her inheritance in Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. She found their stories in her apron pockets, floating inside the steam of hot mustard greens and tucked into the sweet scent of clove and cinnamon in her kitchen. Part memoir, part cookbook, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts weaves those stories together with recipes, family photos, and a lyrical imagination to present a culinary portrait of a family that has lived and worked the earth of the mountains for over a century.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 23, 2024
About the author
Crystal Wilkinson
17 books390 followersCrystal Wilkinson, a recent fellowship recipient of the Academy of American Poets, is the award-winning author of Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, a culinary memoir, Perfect Black, a collection of poems, and three works of fiction—The Birds of Opulence , Water Street and Blackberries, Blackberries. She is the recipient of an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Poetry, an O. Henry Prize, a USA Artists Fellowship, and an Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. She has received recognition from the Yaddo Foundation, Hedgebrook, The Vermont Studio Center for the Arts, The Hermitage Foundation and others. Her short stories, poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including most recently in The Atlantic, The Kenyon Review, STORY, Agni Literary Journal, Emergence, Oxford American and Southern Cultures. She was Poet Laureate of Kentucky from 2021 to 2023. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky where she is a Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
June 27, 2024
4.5 Stars!
The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in February 1863 but Kentucky didn't ratify the Thirteenth Amendment until 113 years later in 1976......Oh Kentucky why are the worst?
Crystal Wilkinson was Kentucky's poet laureate from 2021 to 2023. I had heard of her but I'm not much into poetry so I'd never read her work. As a Kentuckian who is Black I of course was deeply interested in a book about Black Kentucky cooking. Almost my mom's entire family is from Kentucky and I of course was born and raised and still live in Kentucky. I love Kentucky with all my heart but I also hate it with all my heart.
This book is part family history part cookbook. I showed my dad some of the recipes and he of course thought that his and my mom's recipes were better but he is interested in some of the jam recipes. This book made me miss my mom, several aunts and my grandma. Food ties us together. My sister( who can't cook to save her life) complains every holiday that I'm not making something like mom did. I've been cooking since I was around 8 or 9 years old and I'm not the best cook but nobody says it's bad and I've only poisoned a few people...buy that was on purpose. I love food and I do get a boost of serotonin when some compliments my food. Food is home, it's memories and it's love. I loved getting to know Crystal's family who is from Appalachia and seeing how close her family sounded to mine...I also wonder if we share any relatives in common.
Praisesong is a beautiful collection of stories that have been passed down though many decades. We keep our ancestors alive through stories. My mom is alive everytime we tell a hilarious story about her or we eat one her recipes that she got from her mom, who got it from her mom.
Fantastic book!
The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in February 1863 but Kentucky didn't ratify the Thirteenth Amendment until 113 years later in 1976......Oh Kentucky why are the worst?
Crystal Wilkinson was Kentucky's poet laureate from 2021 to 2023. I had heard of her but I'm not much into poetry so I'd never read her work. As a Kentuckian who is Black I of course was deeply interested in a book about Black Kentucky cooking. Almost my mom's entire family is from Kentucky and I of course was born and raised and still live in Kentucky. I love Kentucky with all my heart but I also hate it with all my heart.
This book is part family history part cookbook. I showed my dad some of the recipes and he of course thought that his and my mom's recipes were better but he is interested in some of the jam recipes. This book made me miss my mom, several aunts and my grandma. Food ties us together. My sister( who can't cook to save her life) complains every holiday that I'm not making something like mom did. I've been cooking since I was around 8 or 9 years old and I'm not the best cook but nobody says it's bad and I've only poisoned a few people...buy that was on purpose. I love food and I do get a boost of serotonin when some compliments my food. Food is home, it's memories and it's love. I loved getting to know Crystal's family who is from Appalachia and seeing how close her family sounded to mine...I also wonder if we share any relatives in common.
Praisesong is a beautiful collection of stories that have been passed down though many decades. We keep our ancestors alive through stories. My mom is alive everytime we tell a hilarious story about her or we eat one her recipes that she got from her mom, who got it from her mom.
Fantastic book!
February 5, 2024
I’m going to need a solid 3-5 business days to fully process everything this wonderful, transcendent, evocative, haunting, uplifting, soulful, beautiful book put me through.
5+ stars. This is a masterpiece.
5+ stars. This is a masterpiece.
October 5, 2023
The title pretty much says it all: Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks. Cookbook author and former Kentucky poet laureate Crystal Wilkinson has compiled recipes and stories from her ancestors, who lived in Indian Creek in Eastern Kentucky. Wilkinson’s family goes back in that area to 1808, when the slave-owning white Wilkinsons brought an enslaved 13-year-old girl with them from Virginia. That girl, Aggy, grew up to marry white Tarlton Wilkinson and became a freedwoman and bore him 10 children. She is also — among others — the inspiration for this cookbook.
Wilkinson weaves in some interesting family history, but — as with all cookbooks — the centerpiece are the recipes culled from her ancestors and extended family. The Appalachian cookery includes the expected, of course, such as Hot Milk Cake, chicken and dumplings, Chess Pie, Pine Lick Mutton Leg and Gravy, Pimento Cheese with a Kick, Classic Benedictine, corn pudding, blackberry jam, Grandma’s Blackberry Cobbler, skillet cornbread — unsweetened, as they like it in Kentucky. But Wilkinson throws in some surprises, as well: greens without bacon or ham, Sautéed Fiddleheads, fried plantains, Creamy Tomato Soup, Chicken Salad with Curry, Wild Berry Lemonade, The Dark Crystal Latte.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Clarkson Potter Publishers and Ten Speed Press in exchange for an honest review.
Wilkinson weaves in some interesting family history, but — as with all cookbooks — the centerpiece are the recipes culled from her ancestors and extended family. The Appalachian cookery includes the expected, of course, such as Hot Milk Cake, chicken and dumplings, Chess Pie, Pine Lick Mutton Leg and Gravy, Pimento Cheese with a Kick, Classic Benedictine, corn pudding, blackberry jam, Grandma’s Blackberry Cobbler, skillet cornbread — unsweetened, as they like it in Kentucky. But Wilkinson throws in some surprises, as well: greens without bacon or ham, Sautéed Fiddleheads, fried plantains, Creamy Tomato Soup, Chicken Salad with Curry, Wild Berry Lemonade, The Dark Crystal Latte.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Clarkson Potter Publishers and Ten Speed Press in exchange for an honest review.
July 14, 2024
I love reading cookbooks that are also memoirs. I'm going to use several recipes from this one, especially the chess pie!
May 26, 2024
This book title, cover, and subject matter caught my attention immediately. The photo on the cover is beautiful and the biscuits made my mouth drool and my tummy rumble in anticipation (no such luck there, I'm still sticking to Haver's healthy diet that I read and reviewed last year - but a girl can dream can't she?).
I don't see how a reader's heart could not fill with joy at reading Wilkonson's loving descriptions of her family, of the gorgeous family photos, the recipes, and her memoir. I often feel the ghosts of departed loved ones around me. One of my fondest memories is of my grandmother rolling out noodle dough on her tiny kitchen table and cutting into little squares to serve in our Friday night and holiday chicken soup. Although I have a pasta gizmo, I roll my dough thinly on the counter and envision my grandmother looking over and clucking to me as I slice into noodle ribbons for the most amazing pasta dishes The memories pop up to remind me how lucky I am to have shared in their lives, how much I loved those noble beings who touched my life, of the things we did together and of their achievements in life (achievement by me = love and devotion to family).
This book filled my heart with love.
I don't see how a reader's heart could not fill with joy at reading Wilkonson's loving descriptions of her family, of the gorgeous family photos, the recipes, and her memoir. I often feel the ghosts of departed loved ones around me. One of my fondest memories is of my grandmother rolling out noodle dough on her tiny kitchen table and cutting into little squares to serve in our Friday night and holiday chicken soup. Although I have a pasta gizmo, I roll my dough thinly on the counter and envision my grandmother looking over and clucking to me as I slice into noodle ribbons for the most amazing pasta dishes The memories pop up to remind me how lucky I am to have shared in their lives, how much I loved those noble beings who touched my life, of the things we did together and of their achievements in life (achievement by me = love and devotion to family).
This book filled my heart with love.
October 24, 2023
Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts left me speechless. It is truly a love story told to honor the food, family, and culture that shaped author Crystal Wilkinson’s life. The book is full of stunning photographs, of both dishes created from the book’s recipes as well as the author’s family photos to accompany stories of generations of her Appalachian Kentucky family. In reading this book, not only did I learn about the history of black Appalachians, I also was greatly convinced of the importance of passing kitchen knowledge on from one generation to another, as much of what this book describes is becoming a lost art. I cannot think of a better way for Wilkinson to honor her ancestors than through lovingly crafting this book. I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy.
Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
March 13, 2024
Best narrative cookbook I’ve read so far. Oh did I mention that I’ve never read a narrative cookbook? Anyway, this is how you do it. So vulnerable, honest, a little educational, historical and most of all filled with yummy recipes. I want to make them all.
Though I borrowed this book through the library on the Libby app, I will be buying a copy for my Kindle for future referencing. I want to make some of these recipes for my Southern family.
Give it a read. You won’t be disappointed.
Though I borrowed this book through the library on the Libby app, I will be buying a copy for my Kindle for future referencing. I want to make some of these recipes for my Southern family.
Give it a read. You won’t be disappointed.
September 13, 2023
I received a copy of "Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, by Crystal Wilkinson. This is a unique book. The author shares her generations of family recipes. Her family comes from the Appalachian south. She shares fond memories of her family get togethers. with this she shares the recipes that have been served for over 150 years. Some of them going back to relatives who were slaves. She has chapters focusing on holidays and church gatherings and the recipes and delicious dishes that were served. in her book are shared recipes for pork, wonderful desserts, Breakfast recipes, blackberry recipes. and so many other wonderful recipes that her family enjoyed over the years. Wow. all I know is I wish I could sit at that table and sample some of these delicious meals. I enjoyed reading this book. only thing is I had to read it on my phone, guess I am old gal who has never read a book on my phone. First time for everything I guess. I would give this book a 4.5.
July 21, 2024
I'm not entirely sure how to evaluate Praisesong. As a cookbook, I'm not sure I'd recommend it, since it includes at least one recipe telling you "do not overcook" so it presumes some facility with cooking . . . but the food in here is mostly mundane. I mean that in a good way: it is food for which the person preparing it would not really have needed a recipe. But since the person has gone, the recipe steps in. The food here is trend-proof. But it's hard to think of someone who is looking to recapture the memory and is starting from scratch and thinks Wilkinon's family is the right place to start.
But the world is big. What do I know.
Wilkinson writes movingly and precisely about her family. As a memoir and family-history, this is excellent. Her own life is interesting. I don't think the balance between her own life and the lives of her grandparents was quite right here, but it made for good reading all the same.
But the world is big. What do I know.
Wilkinson writes movingly and precisely about her family. As a memoir and family-history, this is excellent. Her own life is interesting. I don't think the balance between her own life and the lives of her grandparents was quite right here, but it made for good reading all the same.
February 17, 2024
My daddy taught me to make cornbread by watching him. I don’t ever measure and I can show you better than tell you the recipe for it. I miss him and my grandmothers so.
This book is gorgeous but also full of grief. My family were river boat pilots and coal miners and farmers. You better believe I grew up on soup beans and cornbread 🤤
This book is gorgeous but also full of grief. My family were river boat pilots and coal miners and farmers. You better believe I grew up on soup beans and cornbread 🤤
October 15, 2023
One of the most fascinating and educational cookbooks that I have had the pleasure of reading in years is a true gem in terms of old-fashioned, simple, but well-executed recipes, as well as a treasure-trove of historical information about Appalachian peoples of color. Documented with family genealogy, poignant anecdotes, and lovely photographs, former Kentucky Poet Laureate and O. Henry Prize-winning writer, Crystal Wilkinson’s, “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks,” is a gastronomic feast for the eyes and stomach.
From fluffy scratch biscuits; to sizzling cast iron skillet cornbread; decadent Indian corn pudding; sinfully rich and buttery chess pie; and authentic burnt-sugar caramel icing (just like my great granny used to make)—these are just a smattering of the homey goodness readers will find in “Kitchen Ghosts.” There are also a few more recipes for exotic local mountain dishes—like sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns—that will make your special meal absolutely gourmet.
I’ve always considered Cookbooks great treasures of any society because they get to the heart and soul of the local culture almost better than other forms of anthropological research because eating is a primal necessity, and what people eat and how it’s prepared reflects not only on the availability of resources, but also the ancestral traditions of those combining ingredients to make a tasty meal for those they love. Crystal Wilkinson’s, “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks,” is just such a culinary masterpiece.
JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Crystal Wilkinson, and Publisher Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.
From fluffy scratch biscuits; to sizzling cast iron skillet cornbread; decadent Indian corn pudding; sinfully rich and buttery chess pie; and authentic burnt-sugar caramel icing (just like my great granny used to make)—these are just a smattering of the homey goodness readers will find in “Kitchen Ghosts.” There are also a few more recipes for exotic local mountain dishes—like sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns—that will make your special meal absolutely gourmet.
I’ve always considered Cookbooks great treasures of any society because they get to the heart and soul of the local culture almost better than other forms of anthropological research because eating is a primal necessity, and what people eat and how it’s prepared reflects not only on the availability of resources, but also the ancestral traditions of those combining ingredients to make a tasty meal for those they love. Crystal Wilkinson’s, “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks,” is just such a culinary masterpiece.
JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Crystal Wilkinson, and Publisher Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.
March 1, 2024
I have not yet finished this book because I’m working my way through it, taking time to make some of the recipes along the way and to appreciate the stories being the told.
Crystal Wilkinson and I have very different backgrounds and lives. But I relate to her narrative because:
Food is a part of all of our stories and heritage - food connects us all.
Some of my ancestors come from rural Kentucky, part of Appalachia.
Many of the specific dishes she writes about have a place in my memory too.
I like to cook.
In Crystal’s writing I can hear the kitchen ghosts she is channeling. I can feel the hands in the dirt, I can taste the fresh vegetables, I can smell the aromas in the kitchen.
This is a book you don’t want to read through in a couple days. You want to read some stories, find a recipe that sparks your senses and/or memories and then get into your kitchen and manifest it. Then go back and start again.
One final great thing about this book - Crystal makes the recipes accessible and adaptable for busy people who don’t/can’t spend all day in the kitchen (and may need to use some ready made ingredients) but want to recreate the foods of their ancestors who had to do just that.
Crystal Wilkinson and I have very different backgrounds and lives. But I relate to her narrative because:
Food is a part of all of our stories and heritage - food connects us all.
Some of my ancestors come from rural Kentucky, part of Appalachia.
Many of the specific dishes she writes about have a place in my memory too.
I like to cook.
In Crystal’s writing I can hear the kitchen ghosts she is channeling. I can feel the hands in the dirt, I can taste the fresh vegetables, I can smell the aromas in the kitchen.
This is a book you don’t want to read through in a couple days. You want to read some stories, find a recipe that sparks your senses and/or memories and then get into your kitchen and manifest it. Then go back and start again.
One final great thing about this book - Crystal makes the recipes accessible and adaptable for busy people who don’t/can’t spend all day in the kitchen (and may need to use some ready made ingredients) but want to recreate the foods of their ancestors who had to do just that.
March 29, 2024
FANTASTIC. This book has it all: history. Memoir. Food. Photos. Appalachia. And more food. Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts reads like a love letter of admiration to the author's maternal ancestors. When I got to the end, I read the author's bio and was not surprised at all to read that she had served as Kentucky's poet laureate for some years. The prose
sang
throughout. It was an honor to be invited (metaphorically) into Ms. Wilkinson's current and past kitchens and spend time there with her and her family. The chapters, arranged by subject (not by "entrees," "sides," "desserts," etc. like many cookbooks) were so masterfully written as to take you right into the scene. I would sit down to a table laden with any or all of the foods mentioned immediately and happily, but at the same time felt like it might almost be an intrusion or a poor facsimile if I attempted most of them myself. Still, I do think I might attempt the blackberry cobbler and the biscuits. Just those two. It would be a joy to take my own boys to pick our own fruit then use it to make a flavorful cobbler... and I'm just the biggest sucker for a good biscuit recipe. I highly recommend checking out this beautifully written (and illustrated with real family photos!) cookbook memoir.
April 19, 2024
Crystal Wilkinson has long been a Kentucky treasure, and I’m glad this book is raising her national profile. She writes evocatively about how food bonded generations of her family in rural Kentucky. But nothing I say about this book will do it justice, so do yourself a favor and read it. Don’t forget to try some of the recipes!
November 17, 2024
This is one of my favorite books of the year! This is a great collection of stories and recipes. This was a pleasure to read and a book I would highly recommend! Special Thank You to Crystal Wilkinson,Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2024
Storytelling, recipes, and scrumptious food bring back memories of both the distant past and the uncertain pandemic years in this rich volume. Cooking is for many a skill to learn and a means of connecting to people we've lost. Reading this has reconnected me with my kitchen ghosts.
February 23, 2024
I quite simply adored this lyrical book.
August 17, 2023
*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley.
Let's start with the title on this book. Was there ever a more well-crafted, evocative title? I certainly don't think so. It's what drew me in. Going deeper into the meaning of it, and the framework of the book, you get a combo cookbook, combo memoir, combo history/sociological lesson; and it's really just a well-done mix of topics. I also appreciated the photography and family memories shared as well.
The author, Wilkinson, uses family history, whether through oral storytelling, written down recipes, or others, to tell of the cooks that came before her. Her family crafted foodways in Appalachia and kept traditions strong, caring for their families and trying to show that love with food. I know the first thing you think of when you think Appalachia is not black families, and that is why this book so deeply resonates (and is touched upon by the author as well). The area is rich in history, but it's not just the mountain men you see in popular media. Families eked out a living and learned to use the availability of goods around them.
I can't say I've made any recipes from this book yet, which I normally try to do before writing a review, but that's no fault of the authors. I just haven't had the time/energy. But there are plenty in here that I would like to try. And honestly, just reading about them was enough. I was hit with memories when I came across the popcorn balls recipe. It brought me back to my grandfather, preparing tons of them for a fundraiser for his social club every year, storing them in trash bags in an unused staircase in the house, the air smelling like candy. I recently just hit the anniversary of his death and this first year has been tough; he's one of my kitchen ghosts and the author's messages resonated with me as a result.
We all have our ghosts, but a kitchen ghost is not a bad thing to have.
Review by M. Reynard 2023
Let's start with the title on this book. Was there ever a more well-crafted, evocative title? I certainly don't think so. It's what drew me in. Going deeper into the meaning of it, and the framework of the book, you get a combo cookbook, combo memoir, combo history/sociological lesson; and it's really just a well-done mix of topics. I also appreciated the photography and family memories shared as well.
The author, Wilkinson, uses family history, whether through oral storytelling, written down recipes, or others, to tell of the cooks that came before her. Her family crafted foodways in Appalachia and kept traditions strong, caring for their families and trying to show that love with food. I know the first thing you think of when you think Appalachia is not black families, and that is why this book so deeply resonates (and is touched upon by the author as well). The area is rich in history, but it's not just the mountain men you see in popular media. Families eked out a living and learned to use the availability of goods around them.
I can't say I've made any recipes from this book yet, which I normally try to do before writing a review, but that's no fault of the authors. I just haven't had the time/energy. But there are plenty in here that I would like to try. And honestly, just reading about them was enough. I was hit with memories when I came across the popcorn balls recipe. It brought me back to my grandfather, preparing tons of them for a fundraiser for his social club every year, storing them in trash bags in an unused staircase in the house, the air smelling like candy. I recently just hit the anniversary of his death and this first year has been tough; he's one of my kitchen ghosts and the author's messages resonated with me as a result.
We all have our ghosts, but a kitchen ghost is not a bad thing to have.
Review by M. Reynard 2023
December 13, 2023
I don’t even know where to begin. This was a powerful one. I received this as an ARC and I am counting the days till I can buy it for myself. I am from the western North Carolina part of the Appalachian Mountains. This area is so rich in history and culture but it is often missed out on a legacy that is almost hidden and that is the Black Appalachians. I was so in love with the book. The story telling paired with all the wonderful recipes are absolutely amazing. I love the history of the book, all the old pictures, which are a passion of mine. I loved reading how she grew up and how food became important. I come from the same family history of generations of cooks as the women in our family did whatever they could to make magnificent meals from limited sources. They made everything count and our families were blessed for it. I really loved learning about the history of her Appalachian roots and how they shaped her into who she is. The chicken and dumplings is an all time favorite of mine growing up, along with soup beans, pulled pork and my favorite angel food cake. The recipes were so well written and easy to understand. I loved this book and I keep going back to read it again. I will be buying this as a gift for my daddy whose love of our Appalachian history continues with me. You will love the food, the history and the love in this book. Enjoy.
I highly recommend this to any history buff, any down home cook or any of my Appalachian neighbors to enjoy
I highly recommend this to any history buff, any down home cook or any of my Appalachian neighbors to enjoy
September 12, 2023
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
What a magnificent title for this culinary journey through the Appalachian hills of Kentucky! Wilkinson is a natural storyteller, and reminisces about her family’s history while sharing the recipes passed down from one generation to the next. Her recollections are vivid, and it was easy to picture women stringing green beans, using their dresses pouched between their knees. This is truly a cookbook written with love and it will touch your heart from the first page, which features a photo of her great-grandparents. Wilkson writes that she wishes her ancestors could step out of the photo, telling her their thoughts on the life they made for their descendants, what their eyes have seen, and where their old shoes have walked. Wilkinson shows how we use food for healing, love and care, as well as how it tethers us to the past. There are beautiful photos of each recipe, but I especially loved the pages with her kitchen ghosts’ aged, tattered and stained recipe cards.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
What a magnificent title for this culinary journey through the Appalachian hills of Kentucky! Wilkinson is a natural storyteller, and reminisces about her family’s history while sharing the recipes passed down from one generation to the next. Her recollections are vivid, and it was easy to picture women stringing green beans, using their dresses pouched between their knees. This is truly a cookbook written with love and it will touch your heart from the first page, which features a photo of her great-grandparents. Wilkson writes that she wishes her ancestors could step out of the photo, telling her their thoughts on the life they made for their descendants, what their eyes have seen, and where their old shoes have walked. Wilkinson shows how we use food for healing, love and care, as well as how it tethers us to the past. There are beautiful photos of each recipe, but I especially loved the pages with her kitchen ghosts’ aged, tattered and stained recipe cards.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
February 17, 2024
In Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, former Kentucky poet laureate Crystal Wilkinson reflects on family, Black Appalachia, and rural life through food, interweaving storytelling with family recipes and gorgeous photographs of her family and the food they love.
This book is just so lovely. It is a celebration of so much: of family, of heritage, of Black women, of the abundance of rural life, of food as soul-feeding and connection-sustaining. Wilkinson folds the common ingredients of food and cooking into stories about the experiences of generations of women in her family, including her own: grieving her grandmother and mother, raising her children as a single mother, and missing her family during the isolation of a global pandemic. Each element of this book-- the writing, the photos, the stories, the recipes-- is truly beautiful. This book was a joy to read.
Part memoir, part cookbook, Praisesong transcends any one label to make for a sumptuous reading experience that is worthy of savoring. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes memoirs, cookbooks, personal histories, Appalachia, or beautiful storytelling.
We cook. We share our food. We heal.
I know that women in my family have been kitchen ghosts for centuries. Peeping over the shoulders of our daughters and granddaughters and sons and grandsons.
Saying:
Just a little bit more.
Turn your fire down.
Not too much salt.
Please have some we have plenty.
And I imagine myself many years from now, standing in my great-grandchildren's kitchens, nodding my head as they cook, whispering in their ears, "That's right. Keep it up. We will always have plenty."
This book is just so lovely. It is a celebration of so much: of family, of heritage, of Black women, of the abundance of rural life, of food as soul-feeding and connection-sustaining. Wilkinson folds the common ingredients of food and cooking into stories about the experiences of generations of women in her family, including her own: grieving her grandmother and mother, raising her children as a single mother, and missing her family during the isolation of a global pandemic. Each element of this book-- the writing, the photos, the stories, the recipes-- is truly beautiful. This book was a joy to read.
Part memoir, part cookbook, Praisesong transcends any one label to make for a sumptuous reading experience that is worthy of savoring. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes memoirs, cookbooks, personal histories, Appalachia, or beautiful storytelling.
May 9, 2024
Crystal Wilkinson is a poet from Kentucky. In 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴: 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘍𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴, a memoir(ish)/cookbook, Wilkinson remembers all the women cooks who came before her. Even though she may not have met them, she believes their actions in the kitchen and the food they made, have become part of who she is and the mother she’s become.
Reading this book made me think about all the women I know who make their food with love. It made me think of my grandma who cooked three hot meals a day on top of all the other farm jobs she had. It made me think about my own time spent in the kitchen. I have such a love/hate relationship with cooking. I tell Tommy June all the time, “Just because I do the cooking, it doesn’t mean it’s a woman’s job.” But I also want to make food for her that she loves just like when my mom makes my favorite recipes. It makes me feel so happy when my brother’s family comes from Sioux City and always hopes I make muffin pancakes for breakfast on Sunday.
I enjoyed this book, but sometimes it felt repetitive, and it did take me awhile to get through. It is a gift for Wilkinson’s family because of the family history.
3.5 / 5 stars
Reading this book made me think about all the women I know who make their food with love. It made me think of my grandma who cooked three hot meals a day on top of all the other farm jobs she had. It made me think about my own time spent in the kitchen. I have such a love/hate relationship with cooking. I tell Tommy June all the time, “Just because I do the cooking, it doesn’t mean it’s a woman’s job.” But I also want to make food for her that she loves just like when my mom makes my favorite recipes. It makes me feel so happy when my brother’s family comes from Sioux City and always hopes I make muffin pancakes for breakfast on Sunday.
I enjoyed this book, but sometimes it felt repetitive, and it did take me awhile to get through. It is a gift for Wilkinson’s family because of the family history.
3.5 / 5 stars
January 14, 2024
Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks (Hardcover)
by Crystal Wilkinson
Note worthy book for personal history, recipes, and black history in the mountains of Kentucky.
The history shows the difficulty of black land owners in the Appalachian region. The family survived slavery, Jim crow laws, and the great depression. The family problems affect her entire life, from being raised by her grand mother, to the poverty and financial struggles. She is inspiring that she does not blame the family history for their struggles but social inequity and prejudices.
The recipes are introduced not only in the historical concepts but a modern recipes. As you read the story you want to try the recipes for the wonderous descriptions tingle your appetite.
by Crystal Wilkinson
Note worthy book for personal history, recipes, and black history in the mountains of Kentucky.
The history shows the difficulty of black land owners in the Appalachian region. The family survived slavery, Jim crow laws, and the great depression. The family problems affect her entire life, from being raised by her grand mother, to the poverty and financial struggles. She is inspiring that she does not blame the family history for their struggles but social inequity and prejudices.
The recipes are introduced not only in the historical concepts but a modern recipes. As you read the story you want to try the recipes for the wonderous descriptions tingle your appetite.
October 5, 2024
What an absolutely beautiful book! Ms. Wilkinson is a wonderful story teller. On every page, I felt like I was in her Grandmother's kitchen, waiting for something delicious. She introduces us to her ancestors with so much love and reverence, I want to put a plaque up somewhere to sing their praises. The recipes are also beautifully and lovingly written, like she captured all the thoughts and memories that come bubbling up when you pull an old, stained index card out of that tin box labeled Family Recipes.
Fair warning: do NOT read this book when you're hungry! I'm off to make some Praisesong Biscuits!
Fair warning: do NOT read this book when you're hungry! I'm off to make some Praisesong Biscuits!
April 2, 2024
This gorgeous narrative cookbook is pure delight. Spanning generations of family history and cooking, Wilkinson writes in a lyrical, almost musical voice that draws one along like a warm breeze. It resonated with my own Southern roots and the holiday meals my grandmother served, my love of cooking for my own large family, and even the ways I tried to still feed that family during the pandemic. I will return to its pages not just for recipes, but for the generous doses of love between its pages.
June 11, 2024
Loved it! This is a memoir/cookbook from a Black Appalachian writer that brought back so many memories of being a country girl. The author did an excellent job of honoring her family through food, stories, and photos. You can feel her love for her grandmother. I got this book from the library, but have ordered a copy for myself. Many of the recipes are familiar and make me want to get out my pans and get to work.
November 16, 2024
Read this for my African American lit book club. We’re going to cook something from the book and have a potluck meal while we discuss it. As a fellow rural Kentuckian (albeit a white one), I recognized a lot in this book. It’s a wonderful exploration through food of a changing time and place and person. The photos of the people and the food were wonderful.
December 28, 2023
This book was just lovely. I identified so much with the author's strong pull towards her ancestors, and how the very cells in her being are echoes of the strong women in time. I have ancestors in Casey Co, KY and have heard some of the stories of her African American ancestors. How very exciting to insight into the lives of women who put their heart and soul in nourishing the bodies with food. Awesome recipes! Highly recommend! #praisesongforthekitchenghosts #crystalwilkinson #netgalley #goodreads
August 26, 2024
4.5 stars. I loved reading about this author’s family, recipes, and the powerful way in which food connects her to family, and her African American roots. While the latter is not my heritage, I do understand the family connection to food. I think of my grandmother while I’m cooking certain foods, and Sunday dinners when growing up were so important. My aunt gave me her recipe for hot milk cake, similar to the one included here! I hope to try some of these recipes to share with my family.
March 10, 2024
Lovely (if slightly repetitive) evocation of memory and updating traditional foodways.
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