Soul food has become one of most prevalent and popular cuisines in the United States. As with Soul music, when a sensory experience feels so familiar, or so American it seems to have soul, we're really talking about its roots in the African diaspora.
In the African American community, the art of cooking arises from a longing to feed others, gather family and friends, and keep traditions alive. Food is not solely a way of showing love, but it's also a means to pass traditions down from one family to another and an experience that transcends geographic or cultural boundaries, so I pulled together some cookbooks written by Black chefs and authors who keep the traditions of African American food alive while offering a way to bring soul into your cooking and respecting the history that informs it.
I have neither watched the Netlfix series nor read the book, but from what I've heard if you find tracing the roots of African American cuisine on High on the Hog enjoyable, these books, including Sweet Home Cafe—co-authored by Jessica B. Harris, should also be on your reading list!
The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis - With recipes from the four seasons, Lewis shares the ways her family celebrated food, family and the joy cooking.
The Cooking Gene: a journey through African American culinary history in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty - Twitty tells of the struggles his family faced and how food enabled his ancestors' survival across several generations. He uses stories, recipes, genetic tests, and historical documents to reveal his ancestral culinary history.
Afro-Vegan: farm-fresh African, Caribbean & Southern flavors remixed by Bryant Terry - Chef and activist Bryant Terry draws from African, Afro-Caribbean, and Southern food to showcase over a 100 vegan dishes.
The Jemima Code: two centuries of African American cookbooks by Toni Tipton-Martin - The Jemima Code highlights more than 150 black cookbooks that range from a rare 1827 house servant’s manual, the first book published by an African American in the trade, to modern classics by authors such as Edna Lewis and Vertamae Grosvenor.
Sweet Home Cafe Cookbook: a celebration of African American cooking by Albert Lukas and Jessica B. Harris - A celebration of African American cooking with 109 recipes from the National Museum of African American History and Culture's Sweet Home Café .
Meals, Music, and Muses: recipes from my African American kitchen by Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers - Iconic chef and world-renowned opera singer Alexander Smalls combine two of his greatest passions—food and music—in Meals, Music, and Muses. Smalls takes readers on a journey through the South to examine the food, music and culture.
You can find and reserve the books on this list and more by viewing this booklist.
Candace Grace is a lover of books and people. If you ever want a great book recommendation stop by the Pacific Branch Library—it will make her day!
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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