Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts (Crystal Wilkinson)

Staff Pick: This lyrically written cookbook from the former poet laureate of Kentucky tells the story of Black Appalachia through the framework of heritage recipes from the author’s family. A heartfelt and delicious slice of American culinary history. - Genevieve A lyrical culinary journey that explores the hidden legacy of Black Appalachians, through powerful storytelling alongside nearly forty comforting recipes, from the former Poet Laureate of Kentucky.People are always surprised that Black people reside in the hills of Appalachia. Those not surprised that we were there, are surprised that we stayed.Years ago, when O. Henry Prize-winning writer Crystal Wilkinson was baking a jam cake, she felt her late grandmother’s presence. She soon realized that she was not the only cook in her kitchen; there were her ancestors, too, stirring, measuring, and braising alongside her. These are her kitchen ghosts, five generations of Black women who settled in Appalachia and made a life, a legacy,