Eating Pecan Pie in Prison
Courtesy of University of California, Davis Library,
Here another contribution to our series Feeding the Revolution which looks at the role of food in social movements. In 1961, Albany Georgia Police Chief Laurie Pritchett restrained his forces from using violence on civil rights protesters. Instead he ordered their wholesale arrest of and incarceration in separate holding places in neighboring hamlets thus keeping his jails from getting overcrowded. Pritchett held Abernathy, MLK, and other leaders of the movement in Albany proper in horrid conditions including withholding food. Local black women heard about the conditions and began feeding those in jail with some good down home cooking. “Not only did the women bring hot dishes that evening, but they also baked pies,” says Ralph Abernathy. “Just when we had finished off one delivery, a woman would come in with a new basket and we would start eating all over again.” Here is a recipe for pecan pie, which some say was one of MLK’s favorite desserts.
Aunt Nancy’s Pecan Pie Recipe
(with a translation for vegans):
3 eggs slightly beaten (or egg substitute)
1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo (light) syrup
2 tbsp melted butter (substitute a vegan margarine, there are some great ones out there)
1 tsp vanilla
1 & ¼ cup pecan halves
Method:
Stir list ingredients together, and then mix in pecans. Pour into 9 inch pie crust and bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Let cool to room temperature then refrigerate before serving.
