Monday, July 17, 2023

Fred Sauceman and the Food of Appalachia

 



An Appreciation by Jeanne

 

I can’t remember exactly when I became aware of Fred Sauceman.  My best guess is that it was in 2009, when his video Red Hot Dog Digest was added to the library’s collection.  I had never realized that the red hot dog was unusual: growing up, I thought all hot dogs were red.  In that video, Sauceman introduces the audience to some iconic local hot dog vendors, including Bristol’s Corner Dog House and Marion’s Dip Dog. 

From there I moved on to reading some of his Place Setting books.  There are three volumes, and each one has stories of Appalachian food and its makers. Pepperoni rolls, ham biscuits, pimento cheese, and more foods take center stage in his stories of places and people.  I delighted in reading about the places I knew and enjoyed learning of those new to me. He moved a bit farther afield in the wonderful Buttermilk and Bible Burgers: More Stories from the Kitchens of Appalachia, which includes entries from Alabama and Pennsylvania.



Since then, I’ve also seen two other short films, Beans All the Way (about the Bean Barn in Greeneville) and Smoke in the Holler, about Ridgewood Barbecue.  He has also written a book entitled The Proffitts of Ridgewood which recounts the story of the restaurant and the family behind it.  Inspired by the book, I made my first trip to Ridgewood and took family members who had never heard of the place.  We were wondering if we were lost at first, and then we started seeing cars parked along the road, some almost in the ditch.

If you’re interested in local food and local food traditions, by all means check out a book or watch a video by Fred Sauceman!



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