Kendra Bailey Morris
The Accidental Chef

The Book

Published by Ten Speed Press

Buy the Book

...from the book

"We didn't have much, but we had a lot, and Granny made sure none of us ever cared about the difference between our family meal and the lobster tails served in some fancy restaurant on real see-through Limoges china. Because this meal, like all of our meals, was special. Granny worked with what she had, and it didn't matter that our forks didn't match or the cole slaw was a little on the sugary side or the punch bowl had a big chip in the rim. This was a feast made from the fortitude of great Southern women treasured by strong, hardworking Southern men. The table was often silent while we ate, not because we were lacking in conversation, but out of respect. A good meal should be savored like a hot roll fresh from the oven and a good host should be cherished, not for what she has, but for what she offers."

The Senator's Brown Beans
and Fatback

Serves 10-12

• 1 (16-ounce) package dried pinto beans
• 1 medium to large slug of salt fatback (about 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inch thick], or 1 to 2 meaty pork ribs
• 1 1/2 quarts water
• Salt and pepper

Put beans and water in a cast-iron cooking pot on medium heat. Next, put fatback in a microwavable coffee cup and cover with water. Microwave on high for 30 seconds or so, then turn the fat over and do the same for another 30 seconds. Pour the fatback and broth into the cooking beans. Once the beans begin to lightly boil at medium heat, lower the temperature to low, cover and cook for about 2 hours. Every half hour or so, uncover beans and give them a stir, making sure they are simmering in enough cooking liquid. If beans appear dry, add a little more water. Once beans are tender, season with a little salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper before serving.

“With her sincere love for food and family and her keen sense of humor, Morris documents a tradition of cooking and congregating in a voice that is one pinch M.F.K. Fisher, a dash of Florence King and heaping tablespoons of West Virginia grandmother.” Virginia Living Magazine

"[Kendra's] writing is warmly casual and full of intriguing detail anchored to an ironclad narrative backbone. All of these elements root her stories in a specific time and place, places familiar but somehow rendered strangely unfamiliar (and consequently, more intriguing) as she weaves her tales of cooking and eating in the South." Brandon Eats

“No other book will tap into your appreciation of Spam, white bread and canned goods…” Boston Herald

“Whether you speak grits or grinders, this book creates newfound respect for all that is ‘white trash.’ Armed with a vat of fatback and plenty of down-home sass, Kendra Bailey Morris spins family recipes into living memoirs where grandma’s measuring cups transcend their wear, becoming magical tools in crafting the precious taste of home. One read, and you’ll be a grit hater no more.” Dana Craig, Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Recipes . . . are interspersed with backwoods tails of squirrel huntin' and rat shootin', plus etiquette and decorating tips. Morris recommends recycling burlap sacks or paper grocery bags to scrawl invitations on, and transforming toilet paper rolls adorned with dried pinto beans into napkin rings. Take that, Martha.” Kristen Mueller, Utne Reader

“Kendra Bailey Morris has me yearning to bake Granny Boohler's yeasty rolls and to taste Reba May’s Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Good reading and great cooking.” Antonia Allegra, director, Symposium for Professional Food Writers

“Written with love and warmth, White Trash Gatherings brings Kendra Bailey Morris’s West Virginia family traditions alive. Each recipe is handled with care and presented with tenderness.” Monica Bhide, author, The Everything Indian Cookbook

“Like The Empire Strikes Back, White Trash Gatherings is the rare sequel that exceeds the original. If you're not white trash, Gatherings will make you wish you were; if you're white trash already, it will make you proud.” Steven A. Shaw, author, Turning the Tables: The Insider's Guide to Eating Out

“White Trash Gatherings, besides having the coolest title on this year's list, is a fantastic book chock-full of great country recipes, entertaining tips and decor ideas… With drink recipes like "Hot Damn Punch" and "High Dollar Mountain Margarita" and desserts like "Lunch Lady's Oatmeal Cake" and "Black Bottom Banana Boodle" you just can't go wrong.” J. Scott Wilson, Associated Press

“This is so much more than a tongue-in-cheek ode to West Virginian cuisine, thanks to the funny, folksy anecdotes from author Kendra Bailey Morris… As for the recipes, it’s my opinion that you simply can’t go wrong with down-home cooking.” The Good Cook

“As a southern girl living in California, this cookbook included some recipes I never expected to ever see in print. From family reunions to Fellowship Dinner at my grandmother's little Southern Baptist church, the book and the stories warmed my heart…” Amazon.com