Much More Than Beans & Cornbread: Volume 2 of the Best Selling West Virginia Cookbook
by Barbara Beury McCallum
In 1993 More Than Beans & Cornbread:
Traditional West Virginia Cooking made its debut, and over twenty years
later it is still selling copies. This new volume features a collection of all
new recipes that are tried and true and have passed muster in the author’s
kitchen. The recipes are still basically uncomplicated and have been converted
to take advantage of “store bought” ingredients, which certainly saves time in
this busy world, without compromising flavor.
From the author:
“I’ve come a long
way, baby!” to paraphrase an old cigarette commercial (Are any of you reading
this old enough to remember tobacco ads?). In 1983 Mountain State Press
published my first cookbook, Mom & Ramps, Forever which was
updated and reprinted by Quarrier Press in 2010 as Reekin’ Ramp Recipes.
In 1993 More Than Beans & Cornbread made its debut, and
twenty years later is still selling copies. First of all, I want to thank all
of you who have purchased these books, and particularly those of you who have
let me knew how much you enjoyed the recipes.
When my publisher,
Bill Clements, approached me several years ago about doing another cookbook, I
was reluctant. Not that I didn’t have enough new recipes, but because it would
be so different from my first two books, which are strictly West Virginia
oriented. Then I thought, “Why, not?” Most people who love to cook also love to
try new recipes. With our culinary horizons expanding due to the many
television food programs, the Internet, and more local ethnic restaurant
choices, even “died-in-the-wool” Mountaineers today enjoy more than a bowl of
beans with cornbread. Also, once-hard-to-find ingredients now are readily
available in our supermarkets. Years ago I had to go to an Asian market to buy
my first pine nuts and ordered shallots from an ad in Gourmet
magazine.
So here it is. The
recipes are still basically uncomplicated, and I’ve converted many of them to
take advantage of “store bought” ingredients, which certainly saves time in
this busy world, and doesn’t seem to drastically affect the overall taste.
BUT, here are a
few of my personal idiosyncrasies when I am cooking, that if changed, could
alter the taste of the original recipe.
1) I always use
unsalted sweet butter, never margarine.
2) I always use
freshly ground pepper and regular salt, except in soups, stews, pasta water
when I use sea or Kosher salt.
3) I am not above
using jarred chopped or minced garlic in a recipe if fresh isn’t a necessity.
4) I’m a fan of
Hellmann’s Mayonnaise unless otherwise specified.
5) I always use
canned low-sodium chicken or beef stock (I gave up making my own and freezing
in ice cube trays years ago).
6) When in a hurry
(or feeling lazy) I sometimes use packaged grated Parmesan cheese from the
dairy case (although the “real thing” is preferable).
7) Now, hold onto
your hats! I DO NOT OWN A MICROWAVE OVEN, so I don’t know how to use one for
cooking, reheating, thawing, etc. I use a steamer for veggies and rice, and
reheat all my food in a double boiler (if you don’t know what this is, ask your
mother or grandmother).
As another old
lady cook would say, if she were still alive, BON APPETIT!
Barbara
Beury McCallum
