Good Southern Food

Cookbook preserves the tastes of American Indian culture

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois
and United Tribes of South Carolina have published a cookbook of
authentic American Indian recipes.

The book's publication date coincides with Native American Indian
Heritage Month, observed annually in November. Copies are available at
the
Happy Bookseller on Forest Drive for $12 each.

"South Carolina's Native American Cooking" (Morris Press, 2005) took
four years to put together.

From American Indian seafood and barbecue recipes to dishes with
pumpkin, yams, squash and corn, the 80-page book is a collection
designed to
preserve a culinary heritage.

"This book is particularly welcomed (by) those of  us who no longer
have
mothers or grandmothers close at hand to answer questions about how to
make the desserts we grew up with or (for) those who have lost contact
with their Native American Indian cultural roots," said Will Moreau
Goins, chief executive officer of the American Indian group. Goins
compiled the collection with Elsie Taylor.

The book has a distinctively Southern flavor, which was intentional.

Goins, who loves cooking his native recipes, wants the book to be
enjoyed by all South Carolinians. Several recipes are his own,
including a
salsa that is quite delicious and would be perfect for holiday
gatherings. This salsa has a sweeter taste than salsa we typically eat
but is a
refreshing change. The cup of cilantro it contains also gives it a
light, fresh flavor. I'm including the recipe here.

South Carolina has a rich American history, with at least 500 people
enrolled in the Cherokee Indian Tribe of South  Carolina.

"But there are lots of Cherokee descendants," Goins said.

Much of the food we enjoy at Thanksgiving has American Indian
beginnings, of course, and this cookbook would be a fun way to tap into
that
connection. Among others, the collection includes recipes from the
Catawba, Cherokee, Lumbee, Pee Dee, Santee, Waccamaw and Wassamasaw
tribes.

"The turkey, potato pies, cornbread - that's all a throwback to our
harvest ceremonies," which were special days set aside to show thanks
for
the fruits of the fields and streams, Goins said.

That tradition of gratitude is certainly one worth preserving, and this
book includes many tasty ways to do so.

THE SALSA RECIPE

To make Goins' salsa, you'll need: 5 large tomatoes, diced; 2 large
yellow or white onions, diced; 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped; 3 serrano
peppers, chopped; ¼ yellow bell pepper, diced; ¼ green bell pepper,
diced;
½ garlic clove, minced; 1 cup  finely chopped cilantro; ½ cup chopped
green onions; the juice of one lemon; 1 teaspoon vinegar; 2 pinches of
salt; 2 pinches of black pepper; and Ð cup sugar.

Combine vegetables in a large bowl. Add lemon juice and vinegar.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sugar. Mix thoroughly. Allow to chill
for
at least 3 hours before serving with chips.