This book really has those foods you wouldn't think of eating. What is a Marsh Hen? Who immediately thinks to eat toads? This book is filled with a good balance of story and recipe to give you that feeling of being in the kitchen with your southern grandma or grandpa. Now, I personally probably won't be making an Oyster Pie, but the carnival cake wheel, the fritters, and the crab and strawberry recipes may be ones that I come back to.

This is more than just your typical recipe book. It gives you the stories and deep history of the Chesapeake area of Virginia. The main ingredient of seafood is one of my favorite foods so with these rich and layers recipes using this, it holds a close place in my heart. It has numerous amazing recipes and I urge you to try as many as you can.

Are you looking for a beautiful cookbook with fascinating information that will keep you interested even when you aren’t cooking out of it? While the purpose of most cookbooks is to present recipes for food and teach cooks how to prepare them, A South You Never Ate: Savoring Flavors and Stories from the Eastern Shore of Virginia by Bernard L. Herman, is more than just a cookbook. It is a book that not only presents recipes and gives instructions how to prepare them, but also includes well-written vignettes and essays that tell about the history of dozens of dishes and the locals who prepare them.

The book includes beautiful photographs, mostly of the Eastern Shore of Virginia and the people who live there. There are a few photos, too, of the dishes showcased in the book, as well as some of the key ingredients that are important to the region. There is an essay on sweet potatoes with recipes like Sweet Potato Pie (several recipes from different residents who are known for their good cooking) and Sweet Potato Biscuits. The section on strawberries (everybody loves strawberries) includes a recipe to preserve them.

Seafood plays an important part in the regional food, and there are recipes for Shrimp Mengue, Seafood Fritters, as well as crab cakes and clam fritters as well as local fish such as the popular sugar toads (also known as blowfish and puffers). There are several recipes using oysters which are especially popular there. The produce grown on the Eastern Shore of Virginia is plentiful, and there is a recipe for Peach Chipotle Jam that will surely end up in every reader’s queue.

This is a fun and informative book and is recommended for anyone who likes to learn and is interested in the food served on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. It would make a good coffee-table book, too.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Love this book, it's so close to home and my heart. More than a recipe book, it gives stories and history of the Chesapeake area of Virginia. Famous for it's Blue Crabs and wide variety of fish, this region of Virginia has a wonderful history. Interviews with watermen, residents, cooks and farmers give a great overview of the Eastern Shore Area. The recipes are yummy with down home ingredients that let you taste the main ingredient, Seafood. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a well researched book and it was really fun reading it. It's not "just a cookbook", it has lots of info and stories as well.

Cooking for our families is one of the many ways we show love. It is also a skill that brings satisfaction when properly appreciated. As active duty AF, our family was stationed in the South for many years. We developed an appreciation for regional and local favorites. Most people do not realize there is a BIG difference from region to region. Bernard Herman has given us a broad sampling of cooking "South". His recipes and the stories behind them put the readers inside the kitchens and cafes that most of us will never see. It's like taking the ultimate cooking vacation with an expert guide. Pick any recipe and give it a try, you'll be surprised at the ease of preparation and the WOW from your family.

Born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland I was excited to receive this book. And it was more than I hoped for. Beautifully presented and researched. And a book that I'll be sharing with family and friends.

"A South You Never Ate". ~ Bernard Herman Right off the cover excited and is is tempting with what the book holds for the reader. It is a wonderful combination of history, family stories and traditions and recipes of The Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland. The photography is stunning! From Bush figs and tree figs....to oyster pie... and the language of crabbing...and sweet potato pie....the reader will find himself/herself captivated. I recommend this book for the historian, the cook and photographers. A book not to be shelved...but out for everyone to see it's beauty. Publication October 2019.

A fascinating book that made me crave to eat the food it describes. Well written and well researched.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I truly enjoyed this book and have learned so much from the Southern Food from the Eastern shores of Virginia. Herman delved into each area so thoroughly through the eyes of the people living in those areas - talking about traditions, the farmers, fishermen, and those that honor the traditional preparation of these foods. From dumplings, to figs, oysters and clams, nothing was missed! The recipes are classic and traditional - I am certainly going to try them as they have been offered for the home cook. I would also have loved more pictures from what the recipes would turn out to be, but its okay. I like that the pictures were gritty, nothing fancy but showed the faces of the everyday folk that live and care for the land. Herman did a phenomenal job writing about this area that foodies would truly enjoy to learn about. I would be interested in visiting that part of the states and this book would be a great gift for anyone who enjoys cooking especially southern dishes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / highly reccomended

Thank you to the author, net galley and the publishers that provided me an electronic copy of this book for an honest feedback.

An absolutely wonderful look at Southern cooking I’m an easterner a New Yorker so this book is an eye opener to me charming at times funny but most of all makes me want to eat all the delicious Southern food .#netgalkey #uofnorthcarolinapress.

I'm accustomed to Southern cooking, but this has recipes that are all new to me! My folks are from the South, but not the coast area. I love Southern cuisine and this gives me a whole new area to explore. Funniest moment I had with this book, was the chapter on toads and cooking them! But I'll leave that story for other readers to discover and enjoy! And boiled peanuts just have no appeal to whatsoever. I love the anecdotes that accompany each chapter; so entertaining and informative. Interesting recipes that I am sure many will want to try, and possibly add, to their menus.