Stories, traditions, and people at the heart of North Carolina’s cultural life.
A collection of more than 400 stories exploring the traditions, artistry, and community life of North Carolina. From foodways and material culture to tribal arts, music, and the people who carry these traditions forward, Carolina Life & Lore celebrates the richness and diversity of folklife across the state.
by David Cecelski In this sweltering heat wave, my family and I have been seeking cool treats in the city streets. We’ve become connoisseurs of our local sno-cone stands, frozen yoghurt shops, and ice cream trucks, including one that my neighbors call the “Sad Ice Cream Truck” for the curiously mournful airs, played in a […]
On my way to the swamps, I stopped at Kinlaw’s Supermarket andWelcome Grill in Fayetteville. I was there to get a quick lunch at the grill and to load up on provisions for a canoe trip, but what caught my eye was the cases of Bright Leaf brand hot dogs. Kinlaw’s is one of those places near I-95 […]
by David Cecelski The sudden richness and diversity of Latin American cookery here continues to surprise, awe, and delight me. My newest discovery is an Ecuadorian bakery in Raleigh called La Espiga. It’s very popular with the region’s small but growing Ecuadorian community. But for newcomers to South American cuisine like me, the proprietors, cousins […]
by David Cecelski Yesterday I visited the Pik-n-Pig, a pretty special barbecue joint in Carthage. Run by three generations of the Sheppard family, the restaurant serves hickory-smoked ‘cue and all kinds of other good things, but it’s a special delight because it’s at the Gilliam-McConnell Air Field, the private airstrip that serves that part […]
by David Cecelski Today my son, one of his friends, and I visited Kernersville, a small town in Forsyth County, between Winston-Salem and Greensboro. While the boys warmed up for a ballgame, I explored downtown. I parked on Railroad Street next to a series of murals that highlight the town’s history, including the coming of […]
by David Cecelski The other day I stopped at Lenny and VC’s on old US 70 in Dover—the place, as their sign says, that is the “King of BBQ Turkey.” It’s just a little hole in the wall with 4 or 5 tables, but the folks are friendly, the turkey ‘cue is mouth watering, and […]
by David Cecelski One of my favorite places to visit in Greensboro is Fanta City, the fantastic international mall that occupies the old Guilford Mills factory on West Market Street. My son had a soccer tournament in Greensboro this weekend, so one of the other soccer parents and I had the chance to explore this […]
by David Cecelski After church I stopped at the flea market to buy homemade tamales and a wonderful, very traditional hot drink called atole from a Mexican woman that sells them out of the trunk of her car. Her tamales are exquisite—little works of art. She’s from Guerrero, and she makes some of her tamales in a […]
by David Cecelski Wash, peel and cut up 3 or 4 medium-size sweet potatoes, place in water and boil until soft. Mash up fine with no lumps. Add ½ teaspoon baking powder if you have it. While potatoes were boiling take 1 quart of self-rising flour and mix just like making bread with whatever you […]
by David Cecelski At my local fish market, I found the first big chowder clams of the autumn—they were from the White Oak River, near Swansboro. I made a big pot of Core Sound-style clam chowder with them to share with my family during Thanksgiving. It’s an old, old traditional recipe on […]
by David Cecelski When I ordered a homemade pickled hot sausage at Moore’s Grocery and Grill, my waitress picked the sausage out of the fiery red brine with tongs and brought it to me on a napkin. “They’re very popular,” the grill cook told me. My waitress was not impressed. I’m pretty sure that I […]
by David Cecelski The other day I found a wonderful little meat and produce market in Franklinton, a small town only 25 miles northeast of Raleigh in Franklin County. The Cabin Branch Farm Market occupies an old downtown building that used to be a Dodge/Chrysler dealership. It’s owned and operated by Yarbrough and Shauna Williams, […]
by David Cecelski A rather grizzled old gentleman at my local farmers market had the loveliest October beans this morning. October beans, which are also called “fall beans” or “speckled beans,” are an assortment of old heirloom shell beans that usually ripen between the end of summer and the first frost. I still can’t get […]
by David Cecelski On my way to McDaniel’s Crossroads last week, I had an eye-opening experience. I was passing through the little town of Salemburg, in Sampson County, and I saw this tremendous throng of people lined up downtown. Hundreds of people were there. Salemburg’s population is well under 500, but the line stretched down the […]
by David Cecelski I’ve been working hard to finish my next book by New Years, so I haven’t visited my family’s farm in eastern North Carolina in weeks. Sitting here all blurry-eyed in the middle of piles of old historical documents, I try to remind myself that there’s a season for all things, as Ecclesiastes […]
by David Cecelski This past weekend I attended the Old School Sorghum Festival in McDaniels Crossroads in Sampson County. It was a blast. For the last 14 years, a local couple, John and Annie Matthews, has been making sweet sorghum from scratch and taking one day every fall to celebrate the pleasures of its old-fashioned […]
by David Cecelski The Community United Methodist Church in Butner held its annual beef roast and fall bazaar last Friday. I just happened to be passing by. The church is a lovely white plank building, actually an old U.S. Army chapel. During the Second World War, the Fort Butner Military Reservation occupied that part of […]
by David Cecelski I was in Grays Creek, in a rural part of Cumberland County, when I saw this sign for a spaghetti plate sale at the Charity Baptist Church. I was too early to stop for dinner, but the church’s sign reminded me that I’ve had some of my nicest meals this year at […]
by David Cecelski This morning I stopped at Pierce & Company in Hallsboro when I was passing through Columbus County. Pierce & Co. has been in Hallsboro since 1898. Started by a gentleman who had previously managed one of the old Farmers Alliance cooperatives, it’s an old-fashioned country store with a little […]
by David Cecelski The first time I knew the spots were running was just west of the Northeast Cape Fear River, on US 117 in Pender County. I saw a young boy sitting in a red pick-up truck in a yard full of nets and boats. Next to the truck, a sign […]
by David Cecelski When my mother was a little girl growing up in eastern North Carolina, she looked forward to the times that a car or truck accidentally killed one of her family’s chickens. Much to their misfortune, the birds sometimes wandered onto the dirt road that ran in front of their house. A chicken’s […]
by David Cecelski Last week we went to the Kure Beach Fishing Pier for ice cream after exploring the salt marsh creeks between Fort Fisher and Bald Head Island. My brother and his family live down that way and I can’t imagine visiting them without at least one trip to that old pier. It’s the […]
by David Cecelski I stopped at an elegant little soul food cafe in a small town in the southeastern part of the state today—the West End Grill in Kenansville. It’s old-fashioned country food. They serve big plates of fried catfish, fried pork chops, chitterlings, chicken (baked, fried, and wings), barbecued ribs, and down home, eastern […]
by David Cecelski My visit to the Early Girl Eatery here in Asheville has me thinking about tomato gravy. It’s a very old Appalachian recipe. It’s usually made with cooked-down tomatoes (fresh or canned), a little flour, a spoonful or two of grease, and salt and pepper. It’s sort of an all-purpose […]