Cornbread & Buttermilk, a southern culinary story
“Just Two Crazy Kids in Love”.
“Somewhere between the whisper of a June bug and the steady hum of a summer afternoon, there’s a place where kitchens tell secrets in their own time. The South doesn’t rush; neither do its stories or its recipes. Down here, history sits at the table with you, and every dish—whether it’s a slice of warm pie or a plate of fried green tomatoes—has a tale stitched into it like the hem of a worn apron.
On the Cornbread & Buttermilk Podcast, Cornbread—who’s more of a maestro than a master of ceremonies—takes you through the backroads of Southern life, leading you by the smell of fresh cornbread and something simmering slow on the stove. And just behind him is Buttermilk, his soulmate, the woman who knows when to add a dash of this or pinch of that to turn a good story into something unforgettable.
This isn’t just any podcast. It’s a slow walk down memory lane, with your feet shuffling through red clay and the sound of crickets filling the silence. Cornbread and Buttermilk don’t just talk about food—they unearth its roots. They’ll show you the grit of agrarian life, the joy hidden in a garden row, and the reverence we hold for recipes that have seen more seasons than we have. They’ll pull back the curtain on what makes the Southern kitchen the holy ground of American cuisine and storytelling. You won’t just listen; you’ll sit at the table, ready to savor a slice of history with every episode.”
Disclaimer:
Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!
Send Cornbread a voice mail at his Speakpipe link https://www.speakpipe.com/Cornbread
Cornbread & Buttermilk, a southern culinary story
The Watermelon Gospel — Seeds, Storms, and Sweet Summer Thunder
“Good mornin’, Buttermilk — and good mornin’ to all y’all listening under this wide July sky. We’ve had a stretch of beautiful thunderstorms this week — the kind that come on like a hymn, with thunder grumblin’ in the distance and lightning flashin’ like God takin’ photographs. And I’ll tell you, Buttermilk, it carried me straight back to my barefoot summers in Georgia.
I remember sittin’ on the carport, legs dangling off the edge, a wedge of watermelon in hand. I’d watch those storms roll in from the piney hills, all while spittin’ seeds over the railing into Mama’s backyard. Some of those seeds — I promise you — would sprout right there in the dirt. No buryin’, no waterin’, no coaxin’. Just the good red clay of Georgia, a little summer sweat, and the wild hope of childhood.
That’s how easy it was to grow a watermelon back then. Black seeds were little promises — spit ’em out and something might grow. But those white seeds? They never came up. And now, these days, we’ve got watermelons engineered to be seedless — sterile, clean, quiet. No fuss, no magic. Just cold convenience for tidy indoor eatin’.
But I’ll tell you somethin’, Buttermilk: watermelon was never meant to be sterile. It was born for the outdoors — for porches and fields, for elbow-sticky children and seed-spittin’ contests between cousins who swore they weren’t keepin’ score. It was meant to be messy, joyful, red with life.
Today, we’re preachin’ the Watermelon Gospel. We’re talkin’ seeds and storms, rind and memory. We’ll serve up stories of pickled watermelon rinds, front-porch seed battles, and maybe even a tip or two for growin’ your own.
So sit back, let the juice run down your chin, and let’s celebrate the fruit that tastes like the Fourth of July feels. This is Cornbread & Buttermilk, where summer lives forever — one sweet slice at a time.
You can find Edward Phillips on YouTube. Go to @Edwardphillipsroots for more of his music. Learn about the history behind the Delta and Piedmont Blues. Edward brings the music of Sun House, Blind Willie Johnson, and Robert Johnson to life with his stories.
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Disclaimer:
Cornbread & Buttermilk is all about sharing stories, traditions, and the wisdom of the Southern kitchen, but we are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before adding new foods, supplements, or home remedies to your routine—especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Listen to your body, trust your doctor, and enjoy the journey of good food and well-being!
Thank you for listening; please share our Podcast with friends and family members who would find our stories interesting. It would certainly help us, it would be a blessing, it certainly would.
Let us know if you enjoyed the program. What’s on your mind? We would love to hear from you. Contact us at: southerncornbread101@gmail.com
Title: Ragged and Dirty
Performed by: William Brown
Recorded by: Alan Lomax
From the album: Negro Blues and Hollers
Courtesy of: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
You can reach History By Mail for more information at, www.historybymail.com
Listen to @EdwardPhillipsRoots on YouTube. You can watch, “The Electronic Juke Joint” Live stream, with Edward on Wednesday Nights at 8:30 p.m. E.T. where Edward takes song request from his liste...
