Laura Ingalls Wilder, homespun Appalachian cooking -- it’s an old-fashioned American episode of Talkish, The Halli Casser-Jayne Show when joining me at my table is the author of PRAIRIE FIRES, THE AMERICAN DREAMS OF LAURA INGALLS WILDER, the book just named by the New York Times one of the best 10 books of 2017, Caroline Fraser. And at the bottom of the hour, Susi Gott Séguret. Her book APPALACHIAN APPETITE, RECIPES FROM THE HEART OF AMERICA with a foreword by James Beard Award-Winning cookbook author and culinary icon, Nathalie Dupree, at long last brings Appalachian food from its long-time cocoon of stereotypes into the Twenty-First century.

Who doesn’t love the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE books, the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder? To millions worldwide, the warm and loving portrayal of Wilder and her family in the books and the wonderful television series has been a source of inspiration. Born 150 years ago this year in 1867, Laura Ingalls Wilder, was the real-life pioneer girl who survived wildfires, tornadoes, malaria, blizzards, and near-starvation on the Great Plains in the late 1800s. Her books have sold over 60 million copies in 45 languages. The TV show of 1970s and 1980s is one of the longest-running, most popular shows in television history, and is still in syndication! Adaptions in print, on stage, and on screen have followed the books’ original publication, as have songbooks, cookbooks, sequels, chat sites, and merchandise of all kinds, from dolls to sunbonnets. Now comes a new look at Laura Ingalls Wilder, her life, her truth in the new book PRAIRIE FIRES, THE AMERICAN DREAMS OF LAURA INGALLS WILDER. The author is Caroline Fraser, the editor of the Library of America edition of the Little House series who claims in this new biography that the true life of Laura Ingalls Wilder has never been told before.

Susi Gott Séguret has been intimately involved with food and flavor since, as a toddler she first felt the burn of a radish just pulled from the soil. Founder and director of the Seasonal School of Culinary Arts held in Asheville, North Carolina, Ithaca, New York, Sonoma, California and Paris, France, Susi also orchestrates the Asheville Wine Experience and the Asheville Truffle Experience. Originally from Appalachia, Susi honed her culinary skills in France, where she resided for over 20 years, earning a diploma in Gastronomy and Taste from the Cordon Bleu and the Université de Reims. Her articles, reviews and photos have appeared in numerous publications and dozens of cookbooks. Her book APPALACHIAN APPETITE, RECIPES FROM THE HEART OF AMERICA with a foreword by James Beard Award-Winning cookbook author and culinary icon, Nathalie Dupree, at long last brings Appalachian food from its long-time cocoon of stereotypes into the Twenty-First century.

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