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

A poignant-and delicious-compendium of South Carolina Jewish life revealed through food and storyWhere people go, so goes their food. In Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina, Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey celebrate 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. These stories are a vital part of the South's "Jewish geography" and foodways, stretching across state lines to shape southern culture. On the southern Jewish table, many cultures are savored. This lively collection includes more than eighty recipes from seventy contributors. Barnett and Harvey, drawing on family cookbooks and troves of personal recipes, highlight Jewish staples like kreplach dumplings and stuffed cabbage as well as southern favorites such as peach cobbler, modern fusions like grits and lox casserole, and of course kugels and collards. Fully illustrated with original and archival photographs, Kugels & Collards invites readers into family homes, businesses, and community centers to share meals and memories.