Baking in the American South by Anne Byrne, Reviewed

 

I’m sure that we all approach cookbooks in a different way. Me? I like to read them like a novel. Because of this, I am always delighted to find a cookbook that can offer me not only recipes, but historical facts, new methods of cooking, local culture, and thoughts and tips from fellow cooks. Baking in the American South by Anne Byrne (Set to be released on September 4th) has all of these things, plus it offers us recipes that are truly fine examples of the wonderful tradition of Southern baking.

 

This book contains 200 recipes from 14 Southern states, and nearly as many mouthwatering photos, that will send you running into the kitchen, whisk in hand. For me, this book was worth it alone for the cornbread recipes. There are biscuits as well, and rolls, cakes, and cookies, all most certain to send you into a carbohydrate coma.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the people who created these recipes and their varied cultures. Kudos to Bryne for being able to convert those old recipes when inexact measurements were used. To the dismay of everyone in my family, my grandmother used to say things like “add enough flour until it ‘looks right,’” confounding everyone. Because of this I was grateful for the included and most helpful chart in converting those measurements into modern day ones. This provides the reader with the wonderful opportunity to recreate those much loved, crumbling, food-stained recipes from decades past, allowing them to partake in the delights of their own family’s culinary history.

 

 You don’t have to be a baker to be fascinated by the contents. You will, however, want to explore each chapter in detail (one of which is devoted entirely to cornbread, be still my beating heart):

 Sizzling Cornbread

Hot Biscuits

Quick Loaves, Griddle Cakes, Waffles, and Fritters

Rolls, Breads, and Yeast-Raised Cakes

Comforting Puddings

Pies Plain and Fancy

Bake Me a Cake

Cookies and Bars by the Dozen

Frostings and Flourishes

 

This is really a book that needs to be experienced. Historians, food lovers, family cooks, and professionals, will all find great value here.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Anne Byrne, and Harper Celebrate for providing me with a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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