When you think of “Appalachian cooking,” what comes to mind? For a lot of folks, it’s savory comfort foods like biscuits with sausage gravy, crispy fried chicken and mashed potatoes loaded with butter. But, what about folks who want that comfort food, without involving animals? Jan Brandenburg is a pharmacist and poet in Eastern Kentucky. Over the last 30 years, she’s collected and perfected recipes that take a plant-based approach to the Appalachian table. Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Brandenburg about her new book The Modern Mountain Cookbook.
A morel sliced lengthwise will resemble a gutted fish. Note its characteristic hollow stem, a final safety check on whether you have a true morel, and the reason for its nickname of “dry land fish.” Also note that unclean morels can house ants as well as snails. Courtesy Adam Boring.
Every spring, morel hunters head to the woods in search of mushrooms that look like little wrinkled Christmas trees. Some folks freeze them for later. And even add them to their holiday menus.
Folkways reporter Wendy Welch spoke with foragers and chefs in Virginia about how to safely harvest and prepare these beloved fungi.
Raising Flood Relief With A River Song
Four months after Haddox appeared on stage at the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance festival in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Hurricane Helene tore through the conference location, where recovery efforts are ongoing. Courtesy Chris Haddox.
In 2016, torrential rains resulted in one of the deadliest floods in West Virginia. It inspired songwriter Chris Haddox, called “O, This River.”
Since Hurricane Helene, Haddox has been using that song to raise money for people in North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.
Folkways reporter Connie Bailey Kitts spoke with him about the story behind the song.
Smashing Pumpkins For Science!
The crowd looks on at a package with a parachute falls to the ground at the 35th Annual WVU Pumpkin Drop Oct. 25, 2024. Photo Chris Schulz.
Mason: Just because Halloween is over, doesn’t mean pumpkin season is done. At West Virginia University, the big orange gourds are part of an annual challenge that takes a lot of guts –pumpkin guts.
WVPB’s Chris Schulz had more.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Christian Lopez, The Appalachian Road Show, Tim Bing, Caleb Caudle, Chris Haddox and John Inghram.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editor Nicole Musgrave.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
To mark Earth Day, West Virginia University has announced a comprehensive set of 20-plus sustainability goals, to attain significant environmental improvements across the university's campus by 2035.
On this West Virginia Morning, in honor of Earth Day West Virginia University has announced a comprehensive set of more than 20 sustainability goals. And from Inside Appalachia, perfecting recipes that take a plant-based approach to the Appalachian table.
On this West Virginia Morning, we look into the effort to create more microgrids in the state, and a shop keeping the video rental industry alive in a neighboring state.
This week on Inside Appalachia, we head to the woods for a master class in foraging for wild mushrooms. And the woman behind the popular TikTok account “Appalachian Forager” makes jam from pawpaws and jewelry from coyote teeth. We also visit the Alleghany Highlands, where mountain maple syrup traditions are changing with the times.
