Yvonne, David, and Vera Cecelski at the family homeplace by David Cecelski My mother and I always go to our local farmers market on Saturday morning. Today we had a lovely, clear sunny day, a good crowd was there, and you could find the tail end of winter’s bounty—collard greens, cabbages, turnips, sweet potatoes—and the… Read More →
R. A. Fountain General Store
by David Cecelski I discovered a real treasure yesterday on a trip to Fountain, a little town in Pitt County: the R.A. Fountain General Store and Internet Café. Operated by ECU English professor Alex Albright and his wife, Elizabeth, the store is a celebration of eastern North Carolina culture that should not be missed. On weekends,… Read More →
Deep River
by David Cecelski Yesterday I was looking for food for a paddling trip on the Deep River. My buddy Bland and I were headed to the river on a surprisingly warm, sunny, late winter day. Neither of us had been in a boat for far too long, and we were celebrating a free day, the… Read More →
Blue Monday
by David Cecelski Today is Blue Monday, a shad fry that is always held on the Cape Fear River, just below Lock and Dam #2, the day after Easter. I can’t be there this year, but I can dream of it: the crowd gathered on a bluff overlooking the Cape Fear, where the river,… Read More →
Cake Lady, Watermelon Man & the Saw Mill Boys
“Watermelon man, butterbean man, save your bones for Henry Jones, for he don’t eat no meat.” Henry Jones (the Watermelon Man) I am totally, head-over-heels smitten by the stories about local cooks and gardeners that are squeezed in between the recipes in A Little Taste of Heaven Since 1857: Morehead City Heritage Cookbook. Take, for… Read More →