Kelley Fanto Deetz

I visited the Southeast for the first time this past summer, specifically the Gullah/Geechee region, and it was a very eye-opening experience for me. I had no idea that this culture and people even existed, and once again I felt the shortcomings of my education. I also visited an historic plantation for the first time. While it was in North Carolina rather than Virginia, I was able to get a glimpse of plantation life though in a superficial way.

>While I was travelling, the historical tours and plaques all seemed to focus on white history, and I knew that much was missing. Even when slaves were mentioned, there was a general lack of context or depth. When I learned about this book, I was really excited to read it to help me fill in more of the gaps of the history of the American South.

The author uses archaeological evidence, old cookbooks, folklore, and other historical records to provide a picture of what life was like for enslaved cooks on plantations. Cooks typically slept near the kitchen, which was sometimes a detached out building, rather than in field houses, this also meant that they never really had a break from their work. Their immediate family members also lived in these uncomfortable quarters which were very hot in the summer to help with the kitchen work.

Skilled cooks were very sought after and were worth more than other types of slaves. They brought over cooking techniques and flavors from their home lands, forever changing the nature of American cuisine. Meanwhile the slave owners received all of the credit for their hard work. The author also relates some individual slaves’ stories that highlight the day to day lives of persisting in a manner than keeps one literally bound to the fire.… (más)