Cracker Culture

Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Cookbook [Cross Creek Cookery] [Florida & Southern Recipes]

London: Hammond, Hammond & Company, 1960. First Edition, First Printing. [British].
The essential culinary companion to Rawlings’ Pulitzer Prize-winning body of work, specifically compiled to document the flavors of the Florida scrub. 

Originally published in the United States as Cross Creek Cookery in 1942, this first British edition was issued nearly two decades later to satisfy an international audience captivated by Rawlings' evocative descriptions of Florida pioneer life. Unlike standard cookbooks, this work serves as a narrative extension of Cross Creek, blending traditional Southern recipes with the author’s signature wit and deep sense of place. From 'Cracker' staples to sophisticated game dishes, it is a definitive primary source for the study of mid-century Florida foodways.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL FEATURES
+++ Visuals: Features the original British dust jacket design, distinct from the American editions.
+++ Binding: Green cloth with gilt spine titles; structurally sound and remarkably sharp.
+++ Imprint: Hammond, Hammond & Company, London. 1960 [First British Edition].
+++ Specs: 8vo; 8.25 inches tall; 192 pages including a comprehensive index.

CONDITION: Fine / Very Good. The bindings are tight and square with minimal shelf handling. The text is clean with light, even age-toning. The original dust jacket retains its price and shows only modest handling wear at the extremities; now preserved in a clear Mylar protective sleeve. A high-grade, gift-quality example of a title often found with significant kitchen-use wear.

SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ Literary Connection: Compiled by Rawlings at the direct request of readers who wished to recreate the meals from her memoir Cross Creek.
+++ Regional Authenticity: Documents authentic 'Florida Hamlet' recipes, including blackbird pie, Florida palm salad, and regional preparations of local game and seafood.
+++ Cultural History: Acts as a bridge between 19th-century pioneer survivalism and 20th-century Southern culinary identity.
+++ Publishing History: The 1960 British imprint reflects the enduring global legacy of Rawlings’ depiction of the American South.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE -- 
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was instrumental in shifting the perception of the Florida interior from a "wasteland" to a place of rich, sustainable culture. The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Cookbook is a primary document of 'Cracker' culture, preserving recipes that would otherwise have been lost to the homogenization of the postwar American diet. For the Florida collector, this British edition represents a scarce variant that underscores the author’s international literary reach.

Subjects: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Cross Creek, Florida Foodways, Southern Cooking, Florida Literature, Cracker Culture, Regional Recipes, Culinary History, Regional Literature, Florida Americana, First British Editions.

Item #21664

Price: $85.00