Food for Thought and Thoughts on Food

Please note: This post was updated 13 April 2020. All information and links were accurate as of this date.- Kristi Marshall

Get your recipes ready and gear up for August: National Picnic Month. Here at the Beaufort District Collection we are committed to sharing our wealth of South Carolina and Beaufort District history, culture, and environment with you. And this month, that means food!!! Learn about some lowcountry culinary favorites that embody the culture and environment of this historic area. Whether the recipes are tried-and-true or new family favorites, we wish you happy reading, cooking, and eating!

Check out these cookbooks from your local branch of the Beaufort County Library. Comsume the following with wild abandon:

[Key: BDC=Beaufort District Collection, BEA=Beaufort Branch, BLU=Bluffton Branch, HHI=Hilton Head Branch, LOB=Lobeco Branch, STH=St. Helena Branch]

Collections of Lowcountry Favorites

641.5 CHE. The Chefs of Hilton Head: a selection of island recipes by John S. Colquhoun
Available at: BDC, BEA, BLU, HHI, LOB

641.5 FUL. Full Moon, High Tide: tastes and traditions of the lowcountry by Beaufort Academy
Available at: BDC, BLU, BEA

641.5 PIN. Lowcountry Delights: cookbook and travel guide by Maxine and Malyssa Pinson
Available at: BDC, BEA

641.5 SOU. Soups, Stews, Gumbos, Chilis, Chowders and Bisques by John Sams Colquhoun
Available at: BDC, BEA, BLU

641.5975 TAY. Hoppin' John's Lowcountry Cooking by John Martin Taylor
Available at: BDC, BEA, BLU, HHI, STH

Gullah Cooking

641.5975 GAN. The Ultimate Gullah Cookbook by Jesse Edward Gantt, Jr. and Veronica Davis Gerald
Available at: BDC only

641.5975 ROB. Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way by Sallie Ann Robinson
Available at: All branch libraries

641.59757 GER. Bittle en' T'ing': Gullah cooking with Maum Chrish' by Virginia Mixson Geraty
Available at: BDC, BEA, HHI, STH

641.59757 ROB. Cooking the Gullah Way: morning, noon, and night by Sallie Ann Robinson
Available at: All branch libraries

641.59757 SEG. My Gullah Kitchen by Eva Segar
Available at: All branch libraries

Locally Produced Cookbooks

641.5 BEA. Bounty of Beaufort by Beaufort Power Squadron
Available at: BDC only

641.5 PEN. Penn School and the Sea Islands Heritage Cookbook by the Penn Heritage Celebration Committee
Available at: BDC only

641.5 REC. Recipes from the Galleys of Port Royal by Historic Port Royal Foundation
Available at: BDC only

641.5 SOU. Seafood Recipes by South Carolina Shrimpers Association
Available at: BDC only

641.5 TAS. A Taste of Freedom by The Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Officer's Wives' Club
Available at: BDC only

641.5 WOM. Bluffton's Favorite Recipes by The Women of the Church of the Cross
Available at: BDC only

Want to know more about lowcountry culinary delicacies? Check out these tasty websites:

South Carolina’s barbecue debate uncovered by the Charleston City Paper

Eat, Stay, Play Beaufort website featuring the Lowcountry favorite Frogmore Stew

The Beaufort District Collection is a division of the Beaufort County Library, a department of Beaufort County Government of South Carolina.