My boys have often teased me about loving stories and movies that are inspirational and have a good ending. It's true that some are sappy and overdone, but a really good story that they would call a, "triumph of the human spirit" story (while teasing me) doesn't have to be dramatized, because the details are spectacular on their own.
Such dramatic embellishment is not needed for the history of Booker T. Washington and the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. The cookbook for review today involves the story of how Mr. Washington, a young teacher who had been a slave as a child, arrived at the legislatively approved school for blacks in 1881. He would teach and serve as Tuskegee's principal. Mr. Washington, along with Dr. George Washington Carver, a famous scientist and alumnus of the school, both developed plants that would grow in the South's cotton-depleted soil and help feed its hard-working, less-privileged citizens. White and black sharecroppers, alike, were in need of a more nutritious diet. These two great Americans came to the rescue; their innovations in crop development and farming techniques helped change the fortunes of poor southern farmers, and improve the diet of the south as a whole. The African-American Heritage Cookbook: Traditional Recipes and Fond Remembrances From Alabama's Renowned Tuskegee Institute by Carolyn Quick Tillery was published in 1997 and its ISBN is 1-55972-325-4. The historic pictures of Tuskegee, the list of famous Americans who were students there and the recipes of Washington and Carver make this a must-have book, especially for those who love southern food (can you say, "Dandelion Salad"?!) and its history. It's a newer book and should be easy to find; I found mine in the Denton used book store (on the square). This interesting cookbook left me wanting to make a to visit Tuskegee, Alabama.
Page 25 Guacamole Dip
4 ripe avocados
1 large tomato
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
Mash avocados until smooth. Chop tomatoes and add to avocados. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use. 18-24 servings.
***Adventures in Texas: Great farmer's market near Brown Trail Church of Christ in Bedford, Texas. I found the best tomatoes, yet...this season.***
Book I'm Reading: The Kennedy Detail by Gerald Blaine
