John T. Edge

Ever since we came to Mississippi all we've been doing is eating, so when John T. Edge came to talk to us about food it was only slightly unexpected. John talked about the importance of food in the South and the way that one can trace Southern culture by following the practices of chefs and cooks throughout the south. I thought that John's profiles of various types of cooks in the South and the history of how they make their specialties and where it came from was a really interesting approach to exploring the history of the South. John's talk also confronted some of the stereotypes of Southern food and Southern people by showing the precision and skill that goes into creating Southern dishes. When he described the innovative practices at one Southern restaurant which included using wood from trees that had fallen due to storms and using cardboard as floor mats in the restaurant we saw how much care people put into their food in the South and how they make do with what they have. Having experienced lost of Southern food during my time here, it's become clear to me that food really is a way of life here. Not only does food have great historical significance and meaning in the South but the types of foods that are served in the South, large dishes made to feed multiple people, also bring people together here. I think that John's study of Southern food is overall really interesting and really pertinent to the South.