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Dishing Up® Virginia
These 145 delectable recipes celebrate the authentic flavors of Virginia, from oysters and blue crabs to wine, peanuts, heirloom tomatoes and sweet potatoes, Smithfield ham, and much more. Try Chesapeake Cioppino, Cornbread with Crackings, Crab Salad Lettuce Wraps, Southern Fried Caprese Salad, Virginia Sea Scallops with Shallots and Walnuts, Sweet Potato Biscuits with Country Ham and Poppy-Mustard Butter, Oysters Bingo, Chili-Rubbed Pork Loin Roast with Wine Country Salsa, Indian Butter Chicken, Bourbon Balls, Black Cake, Peanut Butter Silk Pie, Monticello Apple Cake, and Bourbon Slush. You'll also find gorgeous full-color photography and profiles of 29 of the best chefs, farmers, innkeepers, winemakers, and artisanal food producers who contribute to Virginia's richly irresistible food culture.
275 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2013
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32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 1, 2012
Bravo Patrick for telling readers about the first Christmas in the New World in what is now Hampton and the first Thanksgiving in Virginia way before any pilgrims landed in New England! Thanks for explaining "R" months too! Love the tasty trip down memory lane, thinking about Miller & Rhoads, Thalhimers and other department store tea rooms. This book combines history, lore, memories, agricultural practice, and so much more for the reader. As a Virginian and locavore I loved how the book interweaves ingredients from each region just the way we eat our food. Exploring our rich heritage of culture, food, beverages, and lifestyle has made me hungry to travel around our wonderful state just to sample more of these delights. This book is a great purchase for individuals and libraries alike and would make an excellent gift. Tuck the book into a basket with hoop cheese, Virginia wine, a nice crusty bread, some country ham, strawberries, apples....
September 25, 2013
Thanks for mentioning the Virginia Aquarium's Sensible Seafood Program Patrick!
May 6, 2020
As a Virginian, I was pleased to find this book based on regional recipes. It's full of lovely seafood dishes that are often underrepresented when covering Virginia cuisine.
This book is also filled with historical tid bits that are interesting and take the book beyond mere recipes. Disturbingly, the book erases Virginia's enslaved people and their contributions to the flavors and components of the Virginia diet.
For example, with so much background information provided about Virginia peanuts, I was disheartened to see the absence of how the peanut likely arrived to the region by enslaved West Africans by way of the Caribbean slave trade, only a passing mention of famous enslaved Virginian, George Washington Carver, and no mention of Benjamin Hicks at all.
Yes, this is primarily a cookbook, but it also includes history of the food represented in the recipes. It is critical to the soul of of this country that we acknowledge our history--all of it--and ensure that all Americans (especially those whose ancestors had their bodies or land stolen from them) are represented and their contributions honored--not erased.
This book is also filled with historical tid bits that are interesting and take the book beyond mere recipes. Disturbingly, the book erases Virginia's enslaved people and their contributions to the flavors and components of the Virginia diet.
For example, with so much background information provided about Virginia peanuts, I was disheartened to see the absence of how the peanut likely arrived to the region by enslaved West Africans by way of the Caribbean slave trade, only a passing mention of famous enslaved Virginian, George Washington Carver, and no mention of Benjamin Hicks at all.
Yes, this is primarily a cookbook, but it also includes history of the food represented in the recipes. It is critical to the soul of of this country that we acknowledge our history--all of it--and ensure that all Americans (especially those whose ancestors had their bodies or land stolen from them) are represented and their contributions honored--not erased.
January 27, 2026
Not a hardcover. This was a flimsy paperback that fell apart.
The anecdotes and ingredients were very repetitive.
I saved the pages with recipes I liked - mostly sauces - and punched holes in the edges and put them in a binder.
The anecdotes and ingredients were very repetitive.
I saved the pages with recipes I liked - mostly sauces - and punched holes in the edges and put them in a binder.
October 3, 2017
.... not a big stretch but made the old school crab cakes
This book was pick for one book, one community for 2017
This book was pick for one book, one community for 2017
November 3, 2022
A fabulous book of history and cooking!
April 17, 2013
Firstly a declaration: this reviewer doesn't have any specific connection to Virginia or any real detailed knowledge of the state. It is this ignorance that made this book even more interesting!
Whilst predominantly a cookbook with 145 different recipes designed to "…celebrate the authentic flavours of Virginia, from oysters and blue crabs to wine, peanuts, heirloom tomatoes and sweet potatoes, Smithfield ham, and much more", this also acted as a bit of a travel guide or travelogue at the same time. Instead of just recipes and more recipes, there is a lot of interesting historical and geographical information to go along with the mass of culinary cuts. A true, balanced meal if you will! The recipes are the main focus it must be said, but the other elements act as a really good complement rather than just being "filler material".
It is true that this book can and probably will have a particular special connection to those who are more closely affiliated with the state, yet one of the great things about a book like this is that the stranger can also find a lot of great local recipes, learn possibly new ways of using ingredients and discover a bit more of this wide, wide world at the same time. This is one of those books that you could even read and re-read without cooking a thing and yet still feel engaged and full, but it would be a shame not to put things to a practical test.
As an outsider, it would have been nice to have had even more background to the various local references as the provided information was engaging, well-written and in no way as insular as one had first feared when opening this book. A great balance seems to have been struck by the author and many of the great photographs used within are a veritable work of art. Even something simple like a piece of "Real Virginia Country Ham" on a serving plate could easily be framed and placed on a kitchen wall! There are even profiles of 29 (an odd number to be sure) of the best chefs, farmers, innkeepers, winemakers and food producers who contribute to the states diverse food culture.
So as to the recipes, how do they work? On the whole very well, even if they are placed according to geographical source rather than culinary grouping (a recipes by category list is at the rear). A great introduction and scene-setter along with, as necessary, the source of the recipe, leads the page. The ingredients and the instructions straddle two separate columns and all the instructions are clearly written, encapsulated into logical stages and an ordered way of doing things. About the only niggles are fairly common niggles at that, measures only in imperial units, a lack of a clear preparation and cooking time and not every recipe has a photograph of the finished dish. This review copy did not have a ready index so no opinion as to its usefulness can be formed. Hopefully it will let you drill down the recipes by ingredients as well!
This book is a likeable companion, whether you are in the kitchen or relaxing on a sofa chair and daydreaming. You stand to gain a number of quite unique, different, enchanting recipes that, at the very "worst" would mean you need to substitute a key ingredient for a locally-available version but then, voila, you've started your own fusion dish with an eye to Virginian cuisine.
Dishing Up Virginia: 145 Authentic Recipes from Colonial Times to Today, written by Patrick Evans-Hylton and published by Storey Publishing. ISBN 9781612120027, 288 pages. Typical price: USD20. YYYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
Whilst predominantly a cookbook with 145 different recipes designed to "…celebrate the authentic flavours of Virginia, from oysters and blue crabs to wine, peanuts, heirloom tomatoes and sweet potatoes, Smithfield ham, and much more", this also acted as a bit of a travel guide or travelogue at the same time. Instead of just recipes and more recipes, there is a lot of interesting historical and geographical information to go along with the mass of culinary cuts. A true, balanced meal if you will! The recipes are the main focus it must be said, but the other elements act as a really good complement rather than just being "filler material".
It is true that this book can and probably will have a particular special connection to those who are more closely affiliated with the state, yet one of the great things about a book like this is that the stranger can also find a lot of great local recipes, learn possibly new ways of using ingredients and discover a bit more of this wide, wide world at the same time. This is one of those books that you could even read and re-read without cooking a thing and yet still feel engaged and full, but it would be a shame not to put things to a practical test.
As an outsider, it would have been nice to have had even more background to the various local references as the provided information was engaging, well-written and in no way as insular as one had first feared when opening this book. A great balance seems to have been struck by the author and many of the great photographs used within are a veritable work of art. Even something simple like a piece of "Real Virginia Country Ham" on a serving plate could easily be framed and placed on a kitchen wall! There are even profiles of 29 (an odd number to be sure) of the best chefs, farmers, innkeepers, winemakers and food producers who contribute to the states diverse food culture.
So as to the recipes, how do they work? On the whole very well, even if they are placed according to geographical source rather than culinary grouping (a recipes by category list is at the rear). A great introduction and scene-setter along with, as necessary, the source of the recipe, leads the page. The ingredients and the instructions straddle two separate columns and all the instructions are clearly written, encapsulated into logical stages and an ordered way of doing things. About the only niggles are fairly common niggles at that, measures only in imperial units, a lack of a clear preparation and cooking time and not every recipe has a photograph of the finished dish. This review copy did not have a ready index so no opinion as to its usefulness can be formed. Hopefully it will let you drill down the recipes by ingredients as well!
This book is a likeable companion, whether you are in the kitchen or relaxing on a sofa chair and daydreaming. You stand to gain a number of quite unique, different, enchanting recipes that, at the very "worst" would mean you need to substitute a key ingredient for a locally-available version but then, voila, you've started your own fusion dish with an eye to Virginian cuisine.
Dishing Up Virginia: 145 Authentic Recipes from Colonial Times to Today, written by Patrick Evans-Hylton and published by Storey Publishing. ISBN 9781612120027, 288 pages. Typical price: USD20. YYYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
January 11, 2013
What a lovely book! Part history, part cookbook, this book is arranged by regions and includes menus, background and history on foods special to Virginia and most of the recipes themselves. Gorgeous color photos throughout is a feast for the eyes as well. The recipes, well lets just say I'm ready to hit the kitchen!! Some wonderful old favorites as well as new recipes I'm dying to try such as Williamsburg Lodge Fried Green Tomato Salad, Virgina Sea Scallops with Shallots and Walnuts, Chesapeake Cioppino, Crab Salad Lettuce Wraps, Southern Fried Caprese Salad (have I died and gone to heaven?!? I adore Caprese salad--can't wait to try it fried!!), Traditional Country Applesauce, Monticello Apple Cake, Black Walnut Balls......Yum!! This a beautifully put together cookbook with incredible recipes. I definitely recommend this one!
I received an ebook version of this book from Storey Publishing through NetGalley.com for my honest review.
I received an ebook version of this book from Storey Publishing through NetGalley.com for my honest review.
November 29, 2012
I loved this book ! It brought back so many memories of childhood. The history of the different areas and photos were a fantastic addage to this book. I will be buying it as soon as it hits the shelves in April of 2013.
5/5 stars
5/5 stars
March 8, 2014
Birthday Gift from Good Buddy Barron
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews