Black History of Food.
Tomorrow marks the first day of February which also happens to be the first day of Black History Month. There will be obligatory messages from corporations and organizations showing solidarity and allyship through quotes from Maya Angelou, images of Rosa Parks, and of course more messaging from M.L.K. The shortest month of the year is jam-packed with prose from Toni Morrison and spotlights on exceptional Black people throughout American history.
As I’ve gotten older + hopefully wiser I have gained a different perspective on Black history. Growing up as a Dominican woman I never thought of myself as Black. Not that I was ashamed of being Black I just honestly never thought I could identify as such. Whenever I thought of Black history I always viewed it from the outside in. Since I wasn’t African American I thought I had no place in proudly saying I was a Black woman. No one in my family had pronounced they were Black so why should I?
Through my own arduous years of learning from reading books on the African diaspora + watching an innumerable amount of historical documentaries something clicked in my brain and never turned off. I reclaimed the word Black for myself + never looked back. At the age of 35 (+ thriving!) I can say I am a very proud Black Dominican woman. I have delved into diasporic history so much so that you all know that I’m writing a cookbook about the African diaspora in Latin America. It’s been a rough labor of love for the last year + a half, but it's been well worth it.
Black American Food History
I would never claim to be an expert on the Black American food experience, but I am well-read and do support many people who are wonderful vanguards + pioneers in the space by following/sharing their work with others. Here are some of my favorite people + works:
African American Food History
Michael Twitty - Amazing culinary historian who has a great memoir called The Cooking Gene. A must read!
Dr. Jessica B. Harris - You might recognize her work from all the buzz she’s received from Netflix’s adaptation of her book High on the Hog. Not to toot my horn, but I’ve loved Dr. Harris’ work since way before the show’s spectacular reviews. She’s a pioneer in diasporic culinary history + has some incredible work out there specifically on the African American culinary experience.
Toni Tipton Martin - I met Ms. Martin at a conference I was speaking at in 2016 and she was probably the most gracious person I’ve met randomly at a conference. She had just produced the Jemima Code and was there to network. I honestly just remember being in awe of her and hoping I could produce such gratifying work like her someday…well I’m well on my way Toni! Toni is a dynamic writer + a stalwart in African American cooking history.
African American Food Today
Bryant Terry - He’s a chef who has produced a bevy of plant-based cookbooks + is now at the helm of 4 Color Books, which is an imprint of Penguin Random House. The purpose of the imprint is to get more books printed by authors of color. One of my faves is one of his earlier works The Inspired Vegan. Simple recipes that pack a delicious punch.
Black Food Fridays - G R E A T Instagram profile that highlights Black food businesses from around the country. Follow @blackfoodfridays.
Matthew Raiford - The sixth-generation Gullah Geechee farmer has a really beautiful cookbook called Bress ‘N’ Nyam that discusses the intersectionality of Black farming, genealogy, and delicious Southern cooking.
While Entertaining - Probably one of my new favorite food publications. Highlights emerging/established Black chefs + food folks in the industry. Volume 3 of their magazine is taking pre-orders now and was just featured in NYT’s T List recommendations. So grab your copy now! Follow them @whileentertaining.
Black Diaspora Food History
Now here I will say that I know a thing or two about Black diasporic food + cooking. So much of the food consumed in the Americas is a result of slavery + colonialism that it’s become an afterthought. The gastronomic contributions of enslaved people to Caribbean/Latin American cooking are immense but highly disregarded, case in point the lack of diversity in Latin American cookbooks.
The Peppers, Cracklings, and Knots of Wool Cookbook - Woo, this book is a doozy. Scholar Diane M. Spivey travels the globe, spanning from Asia to Central America to the depths of South America through methodical research + recipes. She connects the continent of Africa to food grown + eaten just about everywhere (it’s impressive!). This is probably one of my favorite books I’ve read recently in my research for my own cookbook.
The New Taste of Chocolate - A great old book in my possession by Maricel E. Presilla who is one of my culinary history heroes. If you love chocolate + history this is a must-read. It’s hard to track down, but can be sometimes found in online second-hand bookshops + eBay.
Raspando Coco - I’ve talked about the importance of the coconut to Afro-Ecuadorian communities before in my newsletter. Just want to reiterate how genuinely informative and culturally significant this film is. Director Pilar Egüez Guevara has been working with Afro-Ecuadorian people for years collecting their stories and recipes off the coast of Ecuador. If you’re into docs this one is one to watch.
Cocina Palenquera Para el Mundo - A couple of years ago a small group of Black Colombians living in rural Palenque, Colombia came together to write a cookbook. Each person contributed a recipe for the cookbook which was in partnership with UNESCO. The cookbook was intended to showcase traditional Afro-Colombian cooking to the world and it did just that by winning the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for 2014. The story of how the cookbook came together is really beautiful and is discussed at length in the book.
I’ve started a Bookshop Wishlist for anyone wanting to purchase any of these titles: Books For Thought. I’ll continue to add more titles to the list as more books come to mind.
Friday’s Paid Newsletter: We’ll be traveling to the African country of Benin for Eating A-Z in NYC!
Also, our first Meet + Eat with Bob’s Pizza Tour has been rescheduled! But have no fear it’ll be rescheduled for hopefully warmer climate in March + will be an open invite to ALL subscribers. YAY!
Cook. Eat. Repeat.
Natalie 💗✨
I love your newsletter, Natalie. You have a lovely, warm style. I'm your fan!
I really enjoyed how you weaved personal anecdotes, history, and activism, plus shout outs! Also, I lived in the D.R. part of my childhood!