When you picture the Appalachian Coalfields, you might think of those scenic photographs of mist rising from the mountains. But there are the less picturesque landscapes too — views of mountaintops that have been stripped away from coal mining. Imagine if these barren landscapes were covered with purple fields of lavender. […]
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The craft brewing scene in Asheville, North Carolina, began with one brewery. Highland Brewing Co. opened in the basement of Barley’s Taproom in 1994, using jury-rigged dairy equipment to make British-inspired beer. At the time, there were only a handful of restaurants and bars downtown, most buildings were boarded up […]
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Refrigeration brought the jiggle to rural Appalachia I’ve long believed in the alchemical properties of Jell-O, a powder made from ligament and bone. Add water, and all of a sudden you have a brightly colored, gelatinous solid. My fascination started as a child with trips to the D&W cafeteria in […]
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I’ll admit, for someone who cooks professionally, I don’t care much for following recipes. But for someone who seldom follows them, I sure have an affinity for collecting the old ones. Little discolored, badly-worn, musty-smelling notecards with hard-to-read cursive assemblages of ingredients, amounts and detailed instructions. Yeah, those — I’ll […]
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When many of us think of Appalachia, coal is typically the first industry that comes to mind. But whiskey, specifically bourbon and rye, is as much a historical part of the Appalachian economy as coal. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, whiskey was used as currency; it was worth […]
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The first car arrives over two hours before the hulling station officially opens in Jeffersonville, Kentucky. By the time that Renee Zaharie appears and starts the hulling machine, four more vehicles have pulled in and are waiting under the darkening evening sky. The steady murmur of conversation (and the occasional […]
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