Getting Real with Victuals & Breaking the Jemima Code

A Conversation with Ronni Lundy and Toni Tipton-Martin

Ronni Lundy has been a friend of Carmichael’s almost from the day we opened, first as restaurant reviewer
and music critic for the Courier-Journal, then as the author and editor of numerous cookbooks and magazine
pieces. She is also an eloquent and vocal activist on the subject of Appalachian culture. In her gorgeous new
book, Victuals (which The Oxford American said “promises to be the jewel in her crown”) Lundy guides us
through the surprisingly diverse history – and vibrant present – of food in the Mountain South. While
Appalachia is often stereotyped and dismissed as a homogenous place, here, through 80 recipes and stories
gathered on her travels in the region, Lundy shares dishes that distill the story and flavors of the Mountain
South.

  
Toni Tipton-Martin’s The Jemima Code won the 2015 James Beard Award for Best Cookbook of the year.
The Jemima Code, a cultural history with recipes, is the story of women of African descent who have contributed
to America’s food culture for centuries, but whose rich and varied involvement is still overshadowed
by the demeaning stereotype of an illiterate “Aunt Jemima” who cooked mostly
by natural instinct. To discover the true role of black women in the creation of American,
and especially southern, cuisine, Toni Tipton-Martin has spent years researching the
impact of African-Americans on American food, families, and communities, and
using that knowledge to inspire community wellness of every kind.