Submitted to the Daily Reflector December, 2007
Holiday Culinary Insight Well Documented at ECU
By Matthew Reynolds Special to the Daily Reflector
As the holiday season reaches a fever pitch, many of us are planning celebrations with family and friends. Those looking for culinary inspiration can find it in the North Carolina Collection at East Carolina University’s Joyner Library. Over the years, the Collection has acquired a wealth of cook books that not only feature recipes native to the state, but also give insight into our vibrant and varied culture and history.
”In Helen’s Kitchen: a Philosophy of Food” is a collection of columns written for The Guide and The Independent magazines by amateur chef and Durham bookstore owner Helen Hudson Whiting. The pieces all focus on a different theme, all revolving around her philosophy of food: We eat every day; why not do it well? Each column begins with an introduction that gives the history of the featured dishes and the roles that they have played in her own experiences. Holiday columns include Christmas Sweets, which offers up a delightful recipe for a traditional English Christmas pudding with brandied butter and In Cider, which features recipes for several holiday beverages including a thoroughly spiked and aptly named Artillery Punch.
“Mama Dips Family Cookbook” is a delightful work by celebrated cook Mildred “Mama Dip” Council that features an abundance of recipes for truly Southern dishes that are sure to warm your guests’ hearts. The work begins with a narrative written by Council that tells the story of her youth on a Chatham County farm, through the opening of her Chapel Hill restaurant Mama Dip’s Kitchen with a mere $64 dollars in her pocket, and on to being featured on television on the Food Network and Good Morning America. She makes clear in her introduction that she firmly believes that friends and family are integral parts of a happy life. The 300-plus recipes that are included in the book reflect that belief, as they emphasize dishes suitable for family and community gatherings. Highlights of her holiday recipes include pork with roasted yams, sweet potato casserole, and an intriguing white fruit cake.
Perhaps some of the best recipes that can be found in the North Carolina Collection can be found in the treasure trove of compilations published by church and civic organizations. These works traditionally feature the favorite recipes of the groups’ members and give a view into the culinary heritage of the region of the state in which they were produced. They are recipes that are not found in the pages of “The Joy of Cooking”, but those that are written on well worn note cards, tucked into the pages of a favorite cookbook. A fine example of this can be found in “Angel Food and Deviled Crab; a Taste of Food, Local History, and Artwork” written by the parishioners of Ann Street United Methodist Church in Beaufort. Sandwiched between a diverse selection of recipes, readers can find short pieces relating Beaufort’s history, focusing on the city’s historic homes. Featured holiday recipes include Mrs. Culpepper’s Crab Casserole, Mama’s Stewed Rutabagas and Wild Duck, and Buttermilk Coconut Pie.
So if you are lacking in culinary inspiration this holiday season, stop by the North Carolina Collection to see these and other regional cookbooks that we have gathered in the collection. If you ask the staff nicely, we might just share our favorite holiday recipes as well. Area residents as well as members of the ECU community are welcome to use the North Carolina Collection, located on the third floor of the Joyner Library. For more information, call 252-328-6601 or visit us on the Web at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/ncc/.
Matthew Reynolds is a librarian in the Verona Joyner Langford North Carolina Collection.
