Book Information: Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly

cider Book Information: Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion JellyCider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly

Recipes from Southern Appalachia

by Joan E. Aller

Price: $27.99
ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-7958-9
ISBN-10: 0-7407-7958-3
Format: Hardcover
Size: 8 x 9 in.
Page Count: 224 pages

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Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly Reviews

cider Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly Reviews“I’ve been noodling around with Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly by Joan Aller since last fall and have found a lot to like. The title at first led me to believe that it was going to concern hardcore locavorism and it would have me in the backyard harvesting weeds. But this book is as likely to showcase a lavish breakfast treat from a modern-day southern bed and breakfast as it is something from the recipe file of Granny Clampitt. … The surrounding text, about the area’s heritage, and the pretty photos, are just enough to set the atmosphere. The color commentary is fun. The recipes are keepers.” ––The Daily http://bit.ly/e71Uds

“Just as the immigrants adapted the music from their homeland, they also adapted their cooking and created a food culture based on what was available to them in their Appalachian mountain settlements. Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly by Joan Aller celebrates the food of southern Appalachia.” ––Culinaria Libris http://bit.ly/ePgcQX

“Featuring “down-home, soul-satisfying dishes,” Joan Aller’s cookbook is filled “with passages on the history, places, and people of southern Appalachia, along with lush full-color photography of the food and scenery of the southern Appalachian Mountains.”” ––Cooks & Books & Recipes http://bit.ly/c2zqOS

“Aller offers both modern and decades-old recipes — more than 100 in all. The recipes and accompanying photos will inspire you to create everything from Possum Trot Cowboy Gravy to Orange Flower Tea Cakes. But the real treasure is what you’ll learn about southern Appalachia culture and heritage” ––TimesDaily.com http://bit.ly/b66cxo

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Discover the Taste of Appalachia

cider Discover the Taste of AppalachiaEveryone knows the South is famous for its culinary traditions, but even with as many Southern cookbooks as there are today, there’s still uncharted territory left to explore. Fortunately, for all foodies and lovers of hearty food that feeds both body and soul, Joan Aller unearths a mother lode of southern Appalachian sustenance for Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly: Recipes from Southern Appalachia.

Filled with more than 100 recipes guaranteed to please everyone from the urban gourmet to the most rugged of mountain men, Aller’s cookbook offers a wide range of distinct dishes from this quintessentially American region. Whether you’re looking for more familiar fare such as Southern Butter-Crusted Chicken or Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes, or want something more off the beaten path such as Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Tea and Ginger, German Bierocks, or Burgoo, this cookbook has what you’re looking for.

More than just a cookbook, Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly takes you into the heart of southern Appalachia with passages about the history, people, and places of the area. Complete with stunning full-color photography of the unique, beautiful scenery and food the mountains have to offer, this cookbook is ideal for anyone interested in the culture and cooking of one of America’s most enchanting locales.

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Southern Butter-Crusted Chicken

chicken2 Southern  Butter Crusted ChickenFrom Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly: Recipes from Southern Appalachia

serves 8

This is a soul food recipe from the southern Appalachian region of northern Alabama. I think this is about as sinful as a fried chicken ought to get. It’s absolutely luscious!

2 (3-pound) fryer chickens, cut up into serving pieces
Vegetable shortening, for frying
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika

Leftover Corn bread Gravy
8 ounces sliced bacon
2 cups leftover corn bread
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups water, plus more if needed
1 to 1 1/2 cups half-and-half, plus more if needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash the chicken pieces and pat them dry.

Heat shortening to a depth of 2 to 3 inches in a deep, heavy skillet over medium heat. Test the heat with a drop of water. If it spatters when it hits the hot oil, it’s ready.

In a bowl, combine the melted butter, flour, salt, and paprika. Using a pastry brush, coat each piece of chicken completely with the mixture.
Place the chicken in the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until the coating is golden brown and crispy and the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 12 minutes on each side. Serve hot.

make the gravy: In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain and crumble the bacon and leave the drippings in the skillet.

Put the crumbled bacon back in the skillet and crumble enough corn bread into the pan to just fill it. Add the flour and stir until the mixture browns. Be careful not to let it burn.

When the mixture is browned, slowly add the water and half-and-half until the mixture forms a gravy, adding more water or half-and-half if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.

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Oven-Baked Blueberry French Toast

blueberry french toast Oven Baked Blueberry French ToastFrom Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly: Recipes from Southern Appalachia

serves 5

This recipe, from the Cripple Creek Bed and Breakfast Cabins in Crockett, Virginia, was handed down from the owner’s grandmother. Cripple Creek is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains on 35 acres of wooded hills and rolling pastures dotted with wildflowers, blackberry bushes, and apple trees. I just love blueberries, so I hope this recipe from Cripple Creek will become one of your favorites!

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
10 slices French bread, 3/4 inch thick (preferably homemade or fresh store-bought)
2 cups fresh blueberries
Maple syrup, for serving
Confectioners’ sugar, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl with a stand mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the milk and mix well.

Arrange the bread in the prepared baking dish and spread the blueberries on top of the bread. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the bread. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before baking (or cover the pan and place it in the refrigerator overnight). Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup and confectioners’ sugar.

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Mountain Molasses Stack Cake

molasses stack cake4 Mountain Molasses  Stack CakeFrom Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly: Recipes from Southern Appalachia

makes one 8-inch layer cake

This is a traditional mountain favorite. Each family would bring a single layer to a reunion or other celebration, and the layers would be assembled into a multilayered cake or several smaller cakes. The traditional filling is apple butter. I was at a meeting a while back when someone brought this as a single layer with the filling on the top. It was so good that we all asked for the recipe.

Cake
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling
2 cups finely chopped apples
1/2 cup water
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour the outside bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans.

To make the cake, cream together the brown sugar and butter in a large bowl until light. Slowly add the egg and molasses and blend well. Beat in the buttermilk, vanilla, and nutmeg.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Pour half of the batter into each prepared cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on their pans on a wire rack.

While the cakes are cooling, make the filling. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the apples and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and, stirring constantly, cook the mixture until a light syrup forms.

Place one of the cooled cake layers on a serving plate and spread half of the filling on top. Place the second layer on top, and spread the remaining filling over the top.

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About Joan E. Aller

jaller About Joan E. AllerWhen California native Joan E. Aller moved to the mountains of east Tennessee, she immediately felt like she had come home. Since moving there, Aller has dedicated herself to preserving the beauty, culture, and traditions of the region through her photography, painting, and writing, and by collecting the best recipes southern Appalachia has to offer.

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