Southern Homecoming Traditions

Acclaimed for historical cookbooks such as The African American Heritage Cookbook, Carolyn Quick Tillery presents a sumptuous feast in this classic of recipes and remembrances that bring mouthwatering connections to our Black heritage in a celebration of personal and collective history through archival photographs and hundreds of traditional and modern recipes. Southern Homecoming Traditions focuses on the food and history of one of America's most influential institutions, the Atlanta University Center Consortium, an affiliation of six schools - Morehouse, Spelman and Morris Brown Colleges, Clark-Atlanta University, Interdenominational Theological Center, and Morehouse School of Medicine - that constitute the largest, historically Black educational complex in the world. For more than a century, these schools have gathered in one place the best and brightest of Black America. The region also brought us a memorable cuisine that evokes all the tastes and flavors of a Southern home. From traditional dishes that are making a welcome comeback (Chicken and Waffles), to modern dishes and drinks (Jamaican Chicken, Georgia Peach Champagne Punch), to 'forgotten soul food recipes' that are in danger of being lost forever (Smoked Turkey Neck and Collard Greens, 'Chitlins' and Hog Maws), these recipes capture the aromas and emotions of the black experience, past and present. Southern Homecoming Traditions pays tribute to Black Americans who, instead of waiting for a seat at our nation's table, enlarged the table and invited those that followed to take a seat. Enhanced by inspiring African proverbs ('Teach a woman and you teach a nation') and touching remembrances, this is both a food lover's delight and a joyous living history of Black America's continuing influence on American cuisine and culture.