Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack.
Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_.
After discussing Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez last week as part of my list of cozy BIPOC readings, my tummy led me down a path of other BIPOC-written cookbooks. Which, with certain food-focused holidays coming up, I thought was perfect timing. Food, culture, and language are inexorably linked, and part of the beauty of the cookbooks below lies in how they celebrate culture in a way that goes past just reading. Here are hand-wrought cultural lessons that will literally become a part of you.
You can start off with techniques to become an all around better cook, then venture into Korean cooking, learning about the Gullah Geechee and Navajo people, and more.
Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook by Sohla El-Waylly
I don’t follow Food World goings-on much, but even I know of Sohla El-Waylly. And, this book was Roxane Gay’s first book club pick of the year, which I think is pretty dope. In it, chef Sohla El-Waylly invites cooks of all skill levels to become better with practical and science-backed advice. No matter what you want to cook — be it dishes savory or sweet — El-Waylly helps establish a foundational knowledge of cooking that you can always go back to.
Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking: Authentic Dishes for the Home Cook by Maangchi
Apparently, Maangchi is known as “YouTube’s Korean Julia Child,” which I didn’t know. What I do know is that following her recipe for kimchi has awarded me the best tasting kimchi of my life, and that I would follow her and her cute personality to the ends of the earth. Here, her bubbly charm shines through as she shares recipes and techniques for beginner Korean recipes, like seafood scallion pancake and various banchan (or side dishes).
Bress ‘n’ Nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth-Generation Farmer by Matthew Raiford with Amy Paige Condon
The Gullah people are the descendants of enslaved Africans brought to America, and hail from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Their language is a West African-based creole called “Geechee,” and here, Raiford tells the tale of his family, and the Gullah people, connecting them all to the more than 100 recipes within. There are 100 photos of recipes as well as important Raiford family pictures that really serve to anchor the food to history and the Black American experience.
The Modern Navajo Kitchen: Homestyle Recipes that Celebrate the Flavors and Traditions of the Diné by Alana Yazzie
It’s wild to think of how little we’re taught about groups of people who were on this land way before this country ever existed, but at least with Yazzie’s new cookbook, we get to learn about Navajo culture in a really intimate and hands-on way. With beautiful pictures, we see how to make traditional Navajo dishes, as well as other recipes with a Navajo spin. Get ready for Navajo boba milk tea (!), fry bread, Navajo burgers, and more.
Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks by Crystal Wilkinson
Food is so heavily tied to language and culture, and I always love reading about how the three are intertwined in Black American history. I think any other lover of history and food will appreciate how Wilkinson does that in this part memoir, part cookbook, as she writes out the history and fortitude of Black Appalachians through recipes passed down from the women in her family.
Trejo’s Cantina by Danny Trejo
Actor Danny Trejo shares the recipes for his favorite soul-affirming snacks, like vegan tamales, vegetarian “fight night ” nachos, and Tijuana-style birria. There are also many unique renditions of classic cocktails and some great non-alcoholic drink recipes as well. Between sharing recipes designed to bring people together, Trejo speaks about his childhood in Los Angeles, and what eating out with his uncles all over the city meant to him.
Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew by Michael W. Twitty
Here, James Beard award-winning author Twitty includes around 50 recipes that reflect his Black American and Jewish identities. He explores not only how to make the food from each culture, but also how the food influences the eater, and how the migratory experiences of both Jewish people and Black Americans is reflected in their cuisine.
*All-Access Members Can Continue Below for Must-Read BIPOC Releases Coming Out This Week*
English (US) · 