The Bookworm: Bress 'N' Nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth Generation Farmer

The Bookworm: reading the best and weeding the rest

A BOOK REVIEW BY LEEANNA TATUM OF BRESS ‘N’ NYAM: GULLAH GEECHEE RECIPES FROM A SIXTH GENERATION FARMER BY MATTHEW RAIFORD WITH AMY PAIGE CONDON

Bress ‘N’ Nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth Generation Farmer written by Matthew Raiford with Amy Paige Condon takes readers through Raiford’s culinary journey: from a childhood surrounded by good cooks to his military career and exposure to cuisines and food traditions around the world and back to his deep roots on the family farm and Gullah Geechee heritage.

“Bress ‘N’ Nyam” is Gullah for “bless and eat” which gets right to the heart of Raiford’s family food traditions.

Peppered with personal stories with heaps of cultural and historical references, this cookbook provides a deep look into the cuisine of Coastal Georgia - Southern cooking that goes way beyond stereotypical foods like fried chicken (but there’s a 2-day recipe for that too!).

Raiford goes back to his roots with recipes like Blackberry Doobie, a cobbler his Nan would make using fresh-picked blackberries foraged from around the family farm; and weaves in recipes and techniques picked up along the way like Snapper on the Half Shell.

Organized in categories by their elemental source, thebook is divided into sections: earth, water, fire, wind,nectar and spirits. Raiford’s recipes range from rustic to sophisticated and simple (3-ingredient biscuits) to complicated (how to host a pig roast).

Bress ‘N’ Nyam welcomes the reader into Raiford’s personal history with food and provides a valuable perspective into the South’s rich and varied food culture.