A Feast of Stories: December's Culinary Collection

A table set with Southern foods, a Christmas tree is visible in the back

The South Carolina State Library is celebrating the flavors of the season with a curated selection of books on food for December.

This month’s collection explores the diverse culinary traditions of South Carolina that bring people together during the holidays, featuring cookbooks, memoirs, and cultural histories that highlight the role of food in fostering connection and joy. Whether you're searching for festive recipes, looking to delve into the stories behind beloved dishes, or simply savoring the art of gastronomy, this selection offers something for every taste. Join us in discovering the delicious narratives that shape our shared food experiences.

 

Cover of Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island

Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island

Emily Meggett

The first major Gullah Geechee cookbook from "the matriarch of Edisto Island," who provides delicious recipes and the history of an overlooked American community. The history of the Gullah and Geechee people stretches back centuries, when enslaved members of this community were historically isolated from the rest of the South because of their location on the Sea Islands of coastal South Carolina and Georgia. 

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Cover of The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life

The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life

Pat Conroy

Provides a collection of culinary reminiscences from author Pat Conroy--about his travels and the fascinating people and great meals he encountered along the way--accompanied by a selection of one hundred favorite recipes.

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Cover of Shrimp, Collards and Grits: Recipes from the Creeks and Gardens of the South Carolina Lowcountry

Shrimp, Collards and Grits: Recipes from the Creeks and Gardens of the South Carolina Lowcountry

Patricia Branning

Pat Branning is a gifted storyteller who weaves her heartfelt memories of the South throughout this gorgeous coffee table cookbook featuring the works of our best-loved southern artists, along with stunning food photography and landscapes.

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Cover of Sallie Ann Robinson's Kitchen: Food & Family Lore from the Lowcountry

Sallie Ann Robinson's Kitchen: Food & Family Lore from the Lowcountry

Sallie Ann Robinson

Sallie Ann Robinson brings readers to the dinner table in South Carolina's Lowcountry. Born and raised on the small, remote island of Daufuskie, Robinson shares the food and foodways from her Gullah upbringing.

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Cover of Taste the State: South Carolina's Signature Foods, Recipes & their Stories

Taste the State: South Carolina's Signature Foods, Recipes & their Stories

Kevin Mitchell

South Carolina's singularly rich food tradition includes distinctive ingredients, such as the Bradford Watermelon, Sea Island White Flint Corn, Palmetto Asparagus, and Carolina Gold Rice, and signature dishes such as shrimp and grits, chicken bog, okra soup, Frogmore stew, and crab rice. Taste the State tells the stories of the most important of these ingredients and dishes in 82 engaging profiles.

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Cover of Fanfare!: Tailgating with the Gamecocks: A Tailgating Cookbook

Fanfare! Tailgating with the Gamecocks: A Tailgating Cookbook

This catalog contains recipes recommended for football tailgating at University of South Carolina football games. Types of recipes include appetizers, cold dishes, hot dishes, desserts, beverages, breads, and more.

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The S.N.O.B. Experience: Slightly North of Broad

The S.N.O.B. Experience: Slightly North of Broad

Frank Lee

Shortly after opening its doors in 1993, Slightly North of Broad restaurant became an integral part of its hometown, reflecting at once Charleston’s bright spirit, open attitude, and historic character. It presents classic recipes―those “sacred cows” that regulars would not allow off the menu― as well as long-running seasonal plates and many of the sauces, side dishes, and dressings that played foundational roles in the restaurant’s popular Lunch Express and Dailies menus.

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Cover of Tastes of Clemson Blue Cheese

Tastes of Clemson Blue Cheese

Christian Thormose

Features nearly 200 ways to savor one of Clemson's signature products. Chef Thormose offers refined versions of classic dishes as well as creative ways to enhance your favorite fare with a little Clemson spirit.

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Cover of Sunday Dinner

Sunday Dinner

Bridgette A. Lacy

The author offers an ode to a meal that, notably in the Sabbath-minding South, is more than a meal. Sunday dinner, Lacy observes, is “a state of mind. It is about taking the time to be with the people who matter to you.” Describing her own childhood Sunday dinners, in which her beloved, culinary-minded grandfather played an indelible role, Lacy explores and celebrates the rhythms of Sunday food traditions.

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Cover of Two Hundred Years of Charleston Cooking

Two Hundred Years of Charleston Cooking

Blanche Salley Rhett

First published in 1930 as 200 Years of Charleston Cooking, this collection of more than three hundred recipes was gathered by Blanche S. Rhett from housewives and their African American cooks in Charleston, South Carolina.

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Cover of Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina

Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina

Rachel Gordin Barnett

Where people go, so goes their food.  Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina celebrates the unique and diverse food history of Jewish South Carolina. They gather stories and recipes from diverse Jewish sources--Sephardic and Ashkenazi families who have been in the state for hundreds of years, descendants of Holocaust survivors, and more recent immigrants from Russia and Israel--and explore how cherished dishes were influenced by available ingredients and complemented by African American and regional culinary traditions. 

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Cover of A Taste of South Carolina

A Taste of South Carolina

The Palmetto Cabinet

More than 600 recipes from easy to elegant. "Menus for Every Occasion" offers a group of menus suitable for various types of entertaining, including the selection of the proper wine. Also included are the "quantities to allow" and "food measurements" to help with the exact measurement of food to avoid waste and accumulation of leftovers.

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Cover of The Charleston Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the Heart of the Old South

The Charleston Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the Heart of the Old South

Holly Herrick

From the best roadside dives to the finest upscale eateries, The Charleston Chef's Table opens up a new window on the Holy City, which has become a world-class culinary destination in recent years.

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Cover of South Carolina's Historic Restaurants and their Recipes

South Carolina's Historic Restaurants and their Recipes

Dawn O'Brien

Focuses on 50 South Carolina restaurants that are housed in buildings at least 50 years old. In addition to a description of the restaurant's building, decor, and cuisine, each entry includes 2-3 recipes from that establishment.

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Cover of Daisy Cakes Bakes: Keepsake Recipes for Southern Layer Cakes, Pies, Cookies, and More

Daisy Cakes Bakes: Keepsake Recipes for Southern Layer Cakes, Pies, Cookies, and More

Kim Adams Nelson

Nelson brings Southern heritage baking into your home with these recipes for cakes, cookies, pies, cobblers, and more. The flavors are rich and nostalgic, the recipes simple to make, and her stories and guidance will inspire both beginner and experienced bakers.

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Cover of The Food, Folklore, and Art of Lowcountry Cooking: A Celebration of the Foods, History, and Romance Handed Down from England, Africa, the Caribbean, France, Germany, and Scotland

The Food, Folklore, and Art of Lowcountry Cooking: A Celebration of the Foods, History, and Romance Handed Down from England, Africa, the Caribbean, France, Germany, and Scotland

Joseph Earl Dabney

Discover the secrets of one of the most mysterious, romantic regions in the South: the Lowcountry. James Beard Cookbook of the Year Award-winning author Joe Dabney produces another gem with this comprehensive celebration of Lowcountry cooking. Packed with history, authoritative folklore, photographs, and fascinating sidebars, Dabney takes readers on a tour of the Coastal Plain, including Charleston, Savannah, and Beaufort, the rice plantations, and the sea islands.

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Cover of Breakfast on the Battery: A Charleston Chef's Collection of Breakfast and Tea Recipes

Breakfast on the Battery: A Charleston Chef's Collection of Breakfast and Tea Recipes

Connie Stahl

Church tea rooms are a popular yearly fund-raising event each Spring in Charleston, S.C. So popular and traditional, the Old St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Tea Room even marked its 50th anniversary in 2001.

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Cover of Barbecue Lover's The Carolinas: Restaurants, Markets, Recipes & Traditions

Barbecue Lover's The Carolinas: Restaurants, Markets, Recipes & Traditions

Robert Moss

Barbecue Lover's the Carolinas is an essential reference tool for those looking to immerse themselves in the culture of Carolina-style barbecue. Perfect for both the local BBQ enthusiast and the traveling visitor alike, each book features the history of the BBQ culinary style, where to find––and most importantly, consume––the best of the best local offerings; regional recipes from restaurants, chefs, and pit masters; information on the best barbecue-related festivals and culinary events; plus, regional maps and full-color photography.

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Cover of Food in the Civil War Era: The South

Food in the Civil War Era: The South

Helen Zoe Veit

Almost immediately, the Civil War transformed the way Southerners ate, devastating fields and food transportation networks. The war also spurred Southerners to canonize prewar cooking styles, resulting in cuisine that retained nineteenth-century techniques in a way other American cuisines did not. This fascinating book presents a variety of Civil War-era recipes from the South, accompanied by eye-opening essays describing this tumultuous period in the way people lived and ate. 

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Upcoming Event

Photo of historian Chad Gibbs in front of the College of Charleston

Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge: A Historical Perspective

January 15, 2025, 11:00 AM

Join renowned historian Chad S.A. Gibbs for an illuminating webinar that explores one of the most critical and intense battles of World War II.