THIS EVERYDAY LIFE: THIS EVERYDAY LIFE

Sunday, December 30, 2007

THIS EVERYDAY LIFE

As promised in an earlier posting I would make a comment on my visit to the Slave Mart Museum located in Charleston, SC. After much mulling on the topic, I'll cancel the narrative and just say its a must visit for anyone thats visiting the Charleston area. The slide show gives a better description than I ever could.

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THE JOURNEY HOME

THE JOURNEY HOME - Jewish Women and the American Century. An account of the contributions that Jewish women have afforded american society and culture during the 20th Century. From suffrage to birth control, trade unionism to higher education, to civil rights to feminism to every aspect of popular culture, these women have been leading participants and shapers. Anarchists to Zionists, writers and Supreme Court Justices, rabbis and reformers; personalities as diverse as Emma Goldman, Sophie Tucker, and Gertrude Stein have left their indelible mark on the American century.

DWELLING PLACE----------A PLANTATION EPIC

The other day while on a book buying foray I ran across a book entitled "Dwelling Place" It is all about the saga of one of the founding settlers of my county. It contains missives, letters and written documents regarding rice plantation life. Remarkably enough this was a slave owner of compassion. The guy was somewhat scorned by his peers for the benevolent way in which he treated his slaves. He taught them religion, educated them and the poor whites of the area. He was a congregational minister that really thought the slaves were possessors of souls just as the Europeans were. A guy with some definite convoluted outlooks. It is in my opinion not the typical depiction of plantation life and definitely not typical of the treatment the Africans received at the hands of the Europeans.
Interesting read. Bought the book and added it to my online book collection. It along with a thousand other books ranging from topics as diverse as history, Zen Buddhism, self-help, cooking, wine tasting-Well you get the idea. In other words it is a very diverse collection. All can be seen and purchased ONLINE--amazon.com/shops/lowcountrybookstore. Thank you.

SOUTHERN BARBEQUE

Southern Barbeque is a delicious dish if properly prepared and cooked. The tradition of cooking barbeque in its present day form originated in the slave holding states. The slaves cooked it and both master and slave enjoyed it. It became such a tradition for slaves to prepare the dish that even after emancipation a belief by both blacks and whites existed that barbeque could only be properly prepared, cooked and presented by blacks. In some sections of the south this belief holds true even today. Personally speaking good barbeque is good barbeque regardless of the racial identity of the cook. I have even experienced great barbeque at chain restaurants. Jim and Nick's in Bluffton, SC is a great example of Southern Barbeque. Let me stress Southern here. Texas bbq ain't spit. They use beef ribs instead of the ribs of the godly porker. Just ain't the same to a Geechie.
My favorite local bbq place is a pit owned and operated by a white guy by the name of Dave Madry. Dave's place is located on Hwy 84 just outside of and south of Jesup, Ga. Great bbq. The next great place is again on Hwy 84 headed in the other direction. Lige's place, located in McIntosh, Georgia. It is second to my palate only because of the fact I can't get to it often enough. Its owned by a black guy that owns about four small companies and only operates the place out of a love for bbq. Small takeout joint but then connoisseurs of bbq frequent a place for its barbeque. I am a bbq connoisseur and I eat bbq not ambience.

This lowly rice pudding

This very appetizing dish that even an idiot like me can concoct and make pleasing to a wide array of people had its roots in the lowcountry of Georgia and South Carolina. Rice being a staple and plentiful for slaves found many uses in quite a few delectable dishes. Usually these dishes were stand alone due to the fact that the only sides came from gardens grown on plots allotted by slavemasters. Heck it was in their favor to allow the slaves to have gardens, cut down on food expense. Rice pudding started as a very simple dessert dish that was very attractive in that it had very few ingredients:Rice, sugar, salt, butter and milk.. wash rice, put in a baking dish with salt, sugar and butter. Pour over mixture with milk. Bake in slow oven (300 f) at least 2 and 1/2 hrs, stirring at least twice during first hour. Results-yummy. Present day options: raisins,nutmeg, cinnamon. Ingredients equation-you figure it out!!!

A geechie/gullah recipe-low country boil

Not having access to the choicest meals available to them during their forced passage to these shores. Slaves often time had to resort to creating dishes out of ingredients that were readily at hand. Most of the slaves being from Coastal West Africa were already familiar with gleaning the ocean and rivers to create dishes. Adding seafood procured from the waters to at hand vegetables, the slaves created a dish that is recognized internationally. Like all coastal people everywhere of poor resources that usually just threw whatever was at hand into a big pot for community serving; Geechies and Gullahs did the same. They created what is now now known as LOW-COUNTRY BOIL So here we go:
in a big pot of boiling water-throw in
quartered red potatoes, sausages of choice, Old Bay Seasoning,
crab/shrimp boil,simmer for awhile until all ingredients start reaching tender stage. Then add whole tomatoes, ( a sprinkling of rice grains if desired) bring to boil, cover, take off flame and let pot sit, (let various tastes intermingle). Then serve. Hell I ain't no cook so blast the ingredient formulas -learn like I did trial and error. Ha, a point- this dish consisted of any and everything that the slaves had at hand. Heck an aunt's family recipe called for the addition of neck bones.

WELCOME TO THE LOWCOUNTRY

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About Me

Why Am I keeping this journal?

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My Faithful Traveling Companion

Sunday, December 30, 2007

THIS EVERYDAY LIFE

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WELCOME

Favorite Sites to Purchase

THIS EVERYDAY LIFE

Princess Pamela"s Soul Food Cookbook

PRINCESS PAMELA"S SOUL FOOD COOKBOOK

The Journey Home

THE JOURNEY HOME

DWELLING PLACE

DWELLING PLACE----------A PLANTATION EPIC

SOUTHERN BARBEQUE-MY FAVORITE PLACES

Lige"s Place

Dave Madry

SOUTHERN BARBEQUE

RICE PUDDING

This lowly rice pudding

LOW COUNTRY BOIL

A geechie/gullah recipe-low country boil

sitting on a rail/contemplating

New, Used, and Collectible books and VHS Videos

Blog Archive

Rice Milling, gender and slave labour in colonial South Carolina

New Georgia Encyclopedia

Burial of Bhutto

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Black Seminoles, Maroons, and Freedom Seekers in Florida