Homage: Recipes and Stories from an Amish Soul Food Kitchen

by Chris Scott, Brittany Conerly (Photographer)

Overview

James Beard Award Nominee

From renowned chef Chris Scott comes a first-of-its-kind, richly narrative cookbook that celebrates an under-explored foodway in the African diaspora: Amish soul food.

In HOMAGE, Chris Scott tells the remarkable story of his family over seven generations via comforting dishes and vivid narratives: From his enslaved ancestors to his great-grandfather, who migrated to Pennsylvania after the Emancipation Proclamation, to his own childhood in Amish country, and, ultimately, his successful restaurant career in Philadelphia and New York City.

In this tribute to those who came before him, Chris Scott shares 100 dishes born of a unique blend of Southern, German, and Dutch cuisines, including Chicken Fried Steak with Sassafras Country Gravy, Charred Radicchio Salad with Roasted Grapes and Shaved Amish Cheddar, and the ultimate Whoopie Pies.

Stunning photography evokes the rich history of these distinct cultures. HOMAGE is a must-have for home cooks who love JUBILEE and Carla Hall, who enjoy soul flavors or Midwestern food, or who are drawn to cookbooks with vivid storytelling, a sense of place, and a new point of view.

UNEXPLORED FOODWAY: One of the many unexplored foodways in the African diaspora, Amish soul food is a novel cuisine in the publishing world.

HOMAGE is a celebration of Black culture and food, and an exploration of a culinary region—one that has never before been highlighted in a cookbook.

…AND YET THIS IS A FAMILIAR CUISINE: The Great Migration from the South in the decades following the Civil War, combined with the strong influence of Dutch, German, and Scandinavian settlers over a wide swath of the United States, from New York and Pennsylvania deep into the Midwestern states, makes the recipes in the book new variations of familiar dishes. From collard greens to spätzle, country fried steak to German chocolate donuts, this is recognizable, delicious food that will resonate with anyone who enjoys Southern, soul, and German, Dutch, or Scandinavian cuisine.

Perfect for:

• Fans of Chris Scott from his stint on Top Chef or via his restaurants in Brooklyn and NYC
• Fans of soul food, Southern food, and/or German/Dutch food
• Those looking for elevated comfort food
• Foodies who collect regional or narrative cookbooks rich with history and visuals
• People who bought NOTES FROM A YOUNG BLACK CHEF, SOUL, or VICTUALS

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797207742
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	09/20/2022
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	441,183
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Chris Scott is a New York–based chef and the previous owner of Brooklyn Commune and Butterfunk Kitchen, both in Brooklyn, as well as Birdman Juke Joint in Bridgeport, CT, which celebrates Black farmers and agriculture. He is the current owner of Butterfunk Biscuit, which highlights heritage baking at its finest. He was also a finalist on Top Chef, season 15. He lives in New Jersey with his family.
 
Sarah Zorn is a food writer and editor, as well as the coauthor of Sunday Best and Levant. She was the recipe tester for The Nom Wah Cookbook and Xi'an Famous Foods: The Cuisine of Western China, from New York's Favorite Noodle Shop, and the author of Brooklyn Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from Coney Island to Brooklyn Heights.

Table of Contents

A Letter for Us, to Us 15

Introduction 19

Chapter 1 Seven Sweets and Seven Sours

Prune Compound Butter 38

Apple Butter 39

Mincemeat 40

Concord Grape Preserves 41

Preserved Mango 43

Kimmel Cherries 44

Yam Molasses 46

Rhubarb Chow-Chow 50

Okra Chow-Chow 51

Yellow Tomato and Sorghum Chow-Chow 57

Bread-and-Butter Pickles 58

Green Tomato Confit 59

Sweet-and-Sour Green and Wax Beans 61

Old Bay Coleslaw 62

Chapter 2 All Day, E'Ery Day

Johnnycakes with Apple Butter 67

Egg Salad with Bread-and-Butter Pickles 68

Crispy Potato Waffles 69

Nana Browne's Fried Potatoes and Onions 70

Cheese Grits with Jerk Pork 73

Crispy "City Mouse" Scrapple 76

Country Ham Steak with Fried Eggs and Pepper Cabbage 80

Grandpop's Meatloaf Sandwich with Caramelized Onion Relish 81

Creamed Chipped Beef with Brown Milk Gravy and Toast 83

Boiled Peanut Hummus 86

Spicy Pimento Cheese 87

Deviled Ham 88

Crispy Fried Corn on the Cob with Buttermilk Ranch 89

Crawfish Hushpuppies with Old Bay Remoulade 90

Chapter 3 Greens, Beans, Tubers, and Grains

Nana Browne's Collard Greens 94

Pepper Cabbage 95

Hot-Pepper Sauce Watermelon Salad 96

Green Leaf Lettuce and Cornbread Panzanella 99

Charred Radicchio Salad with Cola-Boiled Peanuts and Amish Cheddar 104

Red Bean Porridge 106

Pickled Collard "Ribs" and Beans 107

Cauliflower Rice and Beans 108

Amish Baked Beans 110

Ham Hock and Bean Terrine 113

Chicken-Fried Tempeh 115

Crispy Yucca with Sumac and Lemon 116

Pennsylvania Dutch Tater Tot Casserole 119

Low Country Potato Salad 122

Buckwheat and Roasted Carrots with Mushrooms 123

Mustard Greens and Lemongrass Fried Rice 124

Millet and Summer Corn 127

Chapter 4 Hard Times Foods

Crispy Fried Tomatoes 148

Rice and Gravy 149

Okra and Tomato Stew 151

Cabbage Soup with Egg Noodles and Smoked Ham Hock 152

Pan-Seared Chicken Livers 155

Chicken Backs and Turnip Stew 156

Chicken and Dumplings 158

Turkey Neck Gumbo over Rice 159

Neckbone Dumplings 161

Pig's Feet and Potatoes 164

Crispy Fried Tripe with Hot Vinegar Peppers 167

Dandelion Wine 168

Chapter 5 Celebration Foods

Crispy Deviled Eggs with Cracklin' Collard Greens 173

Macaroni and Cheese 174

Jackfruit Hand Pies 176

Stuffed Chard with Sweet Potatoes and Black Rice 177

Softshell Crabs with Sour Corn and Lady Cream Pea Salad 182

Butter Cracker-Crusted Perch with Sweet-and-Sour Green and Wax Beans 185

Crispy Cornmeal Catfish with Hot-Pepper Lemon Butter 187

Chicken and Waffles "My Style" 188

Lemonade Buttermilk Fried Chicken 193

Smothered Pork Chops 196

Chicken-Fried Steak with Sassafras Country Gravy 197

BBQ Ribs with Rhubarb Chow-Chow 199

Chapter 6 Breads and Flours

Buckwheat Crackers 203

Nana's Cornbread 205

Pimento Cheese Spoonbread 206

Sorghum Molasses Parker House Rolls 208

Nicodemus Bread 211

Black-Eyed Pea Donuts 214

Spaetzle 217

Brown Sugar Buttermilk Biscuits 218

Buckwheat and Rye Dumplings 222

Red Velvet Cornmeal Madeleines 223

Pecan Rolls 225

Chapter 7 Shugga's

Nana Browne's Roly Polys (Apple Dumplings) 231

Whoopie Pies 233

German Chocolate Donuts 239

Butterscotch "Krimpets" (Maple Log Donuts) 242

Silky Chocolate Mousse with Cocoa Crunch 245

Aunt Sara Mae's Buttermilk Cake 246

Buttermilk Cornbread Ice Cream 247

Shoofly Pie Ice Cream 249

Miss Molly's Icebergs 252

Funnel Cake 254

Molasses Cookies 255

Peach Cobbler 257

Acknowledgments 263

Index 266

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/20/2022

Two cultures steeped in farming find rich common ground in this captivating tribute from chef Scott. The author, who was born in South Carolina and grew up with his grandmother in Coatesville, Pa., brings the Amish customs of his adolescence and the soul food of his antebellum ancestors together in recipes shaped by German and Dutch traditions. The canning of pickles and preserves is explored with seven sweet and seven sour treats including apple butter and rhubarb chow-chow. Filling breakfast choices include cheese grits with jerk pork, while a chapter of vegetable-forward dishes is full of inspired mash-ups like ham hock and bean terrine, and charred radicchio salad with cola-boiled peanuts and Amish cheddar. In a preface to a section of “hard times food,” Scott nimbly points out the too easy trend of appreciating celebratory meals rather than the hardscrabble meals of the impoverished—“I get it: Fried chicken and waffles make a much louder noise than turkey necks and rice.” And yet his turkey neck gumbo over rice shines, helped out by a jug of homemade dandelion wine. For more joyous times, church basement fare like lemonade buttermilk fried chicken are at the ready, as are dessert classics like Southern-inspired peach cobbler, and whoopie pies of Amish market fame. This hits the spot. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

”Two cultures steeped in farming find rich common ground in this captivating tribute from chef Scott.”?—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Chris Scott gives us a vibrant addition to the soul canon. Heart and craftmanship, mentoring and tradition, and creativity and respect are his main ingredients. You’ll be grateful for this journey.”

-Michael Twitty, author, culinary historian, and educator

"There's so much heart in Homage that it stopped me in my tracks. Sure, the book's got excellent recipes—who can resist the succulent poetry of Whoopie Pies and Dandelion Wine, Yam Molasses and Okra Chow-Chow, Pan-Seared Chicken Livers and Crispy Fried Tomatoes? But Chris Scott goes deep beyond cooking in the spirit of honoring his ancestors, guiding his four children, and telling a uniquely American story. You can sense that spirit glowing from every page: Homage is an instant classic." 

-Jeff Gordinier, author of Hungry

“If a dish could hold a whole a generational, cultural culinary history, you would find it in Homage. A family’s Black heritage in a book of recipes flavored by a unique Amish tradition. Homage is about perseverance and evolution, and stories that serve the life, artistry, and devotion of Chris Scott on a plate. Here is food born of love, life, a family's faith, and a coming of age. Because just when you thought you knew what soul food was, think again: be truly amazed, satiated, and transported.”

 -Alexander Smalls, chef, restauranteur, author, opera singer, and social minister

”Having the privilege of cooking alongside Chris Scott, I can assure you that his food and his writing are passionate and soulful, and utterly important. Homage is a must-have and a must-read.”

 -Mike Solomonov, James Beard Award winning chef and cookbook author 

 

“Chris Scott is the real deal. His food is an authentic extension of his heritage and his training. He is a student of cuisine, bringing creativity and innovation to traditional flavors to make them insanely delicious.”

 -Tanya Holland, chef, restaurateur, podcast host, and cookbook author

From the Publisher