Okra is the food of my ancestors, who were pulled from their homes in Africa. It was grown by those enslaved along the Carolinas, and devoured by them in Louisiana. Okra is a constant in my familial story — one that includes deep memories and gaping holes of history.
It…
We live in a system in which a white cop feels empowered to kneel on a Black man’s neck for nearly 9 minutes and take his life. That system is held up by politicians, officers, and everyday citizens who grew up in homes with a narrow view of America —…
When Darius Williams moved to Atlanta five years ago, he thought he wanted to be the next Food Network star. A boisterous, gay Black chef, Williams’ personality and culinary skills were in his favor. Instead, the food blogger became a social media star on his own, Food Network not included.
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Toni Tipton-Martin’s lauded cookbook Jubilee, named one of the best cookbooks of 2019 by numerous publications, is one of the most significant efforts to share the stories and recipes of the chefs who created and shaped African American cooking — and an American culinary landscape that people from endless backgrounds…
When I walked through the aisles of my local grocery store in early March and saw stacks of nori, I smiled to myself. The snack made a regular appearance during some of my most memorable experiences in college, and the rollercoaster of young adulthood that followed.
I love nori because…
Creamy, aromatic eggnog is a staple in American homes during the winter — we consume an estimated 135 million pounds per year, to be exact. Whether served in mugs at holiday parties or paired with whiskey, rum, or brandy, the beverage inevitably makes an appearance on drink menus around Christmastime.
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If you’re looking for Black or West African food on iStock, you might have some trouble. A search for “Black food” or “African American food” pulls up a range of random results: a few Black Americans cooking or eating, an image of coffee beans, and a graphic of a hamburger…
It was a chilly Friday night, just one day after the death of beloved U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, when I walked into Reverence in Harlem’s Strivers’ Row and read a welcome card emblazoned with a quote from the Baltimore congressman: “I’m going to do what feeds my soul.”
If Russell…
When I flew to Ghana during the Year of Return, I hoped to learn more about Ghanaian dishes. My search for one thing on my list — koobi egg stew — led to my discovery of one I hadn’t heard of: palava sauce, which…
It’s hard to understate the importance of peanuts in food around the world. …
