Thanks to Chrislove and Mrcynical, who introduced me to Celebrating Appalachia’s YouTube channel. There are some wild things — chocolate gravy? who knew? — but it was a cheap sauce if you didn’t have a lot of meat in the larder to make your family’s breakfast gravy.
So what constitutes Appalachia, exactly? Well, this map gives a good idea. In this diary, we will visit with Tipper Pressley in Cherokee County, North Carolina, just north of Georgia. Check out her website too: blindpigandtheacorn.com
Wiki says,
Appalachia typically refers only to the cultural region of the central and southern portions of the range, from the Catskill Mountains of New York southwest to the Blue Ridge Mountains which run southwest from southern Pennsylvania to northern Georgia, and the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina.
en.wikipedia.org/...
In August!:
Westward, ho!
European migration into Appalachia began in the 18th century. As lands in eastern Pennsylvania, the Tidewater region of Virginia and the Carolinas filled up, immigrants began pushing further and further westward into the Appalachian Mountains. A relatively large proportion of the early backcountry immigrants were Ulster Scots—later known as "Scotch-Irish", a group mostly originating from southern Scotland and northern England, many of whom had settled in Ulster Ireland prior to migrating to America[22][23][24][25] — who were seeking cheaper land and freedom from Quaker leaders, many of whom considered the Scotch-Irish "savages".
en.wikipedia.org/...
So, about that Chocolate Gravy… It’s part of a major breakfast [13:16]:
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There’s a whole lotta lore in them thar hills:
Treacherous English Lords. Murderous American doctors. Haints rapping loudly. My grandmother, Lelia Jane Grubb Musser told tales of these things, and so much more. She was a lifelong resident of Southwest Virginia and a product of Scots Irish and German ancestry.
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Nana’s most impactful story was at Thanksgiving, 1959. The family was settled in the sitting room after dinner. We heard a rapping in the wall.
My grandmother said that she had been hearing that noise for several weeks. She told us that rapping was a premonition of death in the house. She said we could test this premise by saying, “If you’re a haint, rap louder”.
My mother, not easily frightened by these things, leaned back in her seat, and said loudly, “If you’re a haint, rap louder.” With that, it seemed to me that the entire wall shook. Rattled, everyone excused themselves and went to bed.
A month later, my beloved Lelia was dead.
www.appalachianhistory.net/...
This one’s sure to be contentious — people are so picky about their cornbread — but she’s right about the cast iron skillet, and she does recommend experimenting with different recipes and types of cornmeal to find the one you like best. “The Secret to Good Cornbread” [14:41]:
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Did you know this? I didn't:
Regional writers and business interests led a movement to create national parks in the eastern United States similar to Yosemite and Yellowstone in the west, culminating in the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee, and the Blue Ridge Parkway (connecting the two) in the 1930s.[28]: 200–210 During the same period, New England forester Benton MacKaye led the movement to build the 2,175-mile (3,500 km) Appalachian Trail, stretching from Georgia to Maine.
en.wikipedia.org/...
Cooking green (“string”) beans the traditional Appalachian way [18:33]:
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What did the early settlers do for fun?
For the first settlers there were few opportunities to obtain an education. To own a book other than the family Bible was rare. What little time that was left after meeting the needs of survival focused on ways to stave off the dread of loneliness and isolation. Music and storytelling emerged as the primary forms of entertainment, and to this day there’s a distinctly unique version of both alive and well here in the mountains.
Storytelling required little more than imagination and an audience. It was the perfect fit for the poor and isolated mountain people.
www.appalachianhistory.net/...
Need a change of pace from grilled cheese sandwiches? Try a fried jelly sandwich! [11:07]
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Of course, we’re all familiar with the stereotypes.
Depictions of Appalachia and its inhabitants in popular media are typically negative, making the region an object of humor, derision, and social concern.[139] Ledford writes, "Always part of the mythical South, Appalachia continues to languish backstage in the American drama, still dressed, in the popular mind at least, in the garments of backwardness, violence, poverty, and hopelessness."[140]
en.wikipedia.org/...
Here’s a supper she makes with pot roast (yum) and stewed turnips. I love turnips! And these look simple but delicious [21:20]:
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Tipper’s website is well worth visiting. Here’s her profile there:
There are tons of things I could tell you about myself, but all you really need to know is I'm crazy in love with my home in Appalachia-the people, the food, the music, the colorful language, the sustainable lifestyle, the history, the soaring mountains, and the deep dark hollers. I hope you'll join me as I do my best to celebrate and preserve Appalachia.
blindpigandtheacorn.com
Just for fun: some regional pronunciations [16:20]:
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So c’mon in the cafe and grab a cuppa...
...and a nice nosh...
...and join us!
New Day Cafe is an open thread. What do you want to talk about today?