This is actually my SECOND read of this book and honestly my first read ratings were not good but as you will see how and why that changed DRASTICALLY. I read this book a while back when I was thinking of changing to plant based. It wasn’t a good fit because I was so unfamiliar with a lot of items and terms. But now that I’m a little bit more mature in eating this way, I understood just about everything. Also I was a law student so I didn't have the time to invest in cooking and it was one of th

This is actually my SECOND read of this book and honestly my first read ratings were not good but as you will see how and why that changed DRASTICALLY. I read this book a while back when I was thinking of changing to plant based. It wasn’t a good fit because I was so unfamiliar with a lot of items and terms. But now that I’m a little bit more mature in eating this way, I understood just about everything. Also I was a law student so I didn't have the time to invest in cooking and it was one of the first vegan cook books I picked up. I was saying no to every dish. Now I have more time and my taste buds have changed, which is why I picked this book back up.



I know it sounds weird to read a COOKBOOK from cover to cover but this is one that you must read from cover to cover.



The research and the time and effort put in this book is beyond amazing. He studied other cookbooks and cultures. If it were me, it would take me about 4-5 years to write this book but I would never be able to bring everything together as he did. He speaks about the slave market for African, African Americans, Jamaicans, Haitians and several others. He is obviously a culinary historian and I was glad he unapologetically shared these things with me in his book. He explains the history of the food and the benefit of the food to our bodies. Additionally, I appreciate the strategic naming of each recipe. For example, there is a drink recipe called Black Queen that reminded the author of elegant Southern aunties which prompted him to name the drink “BLACK QUEENS”.



Further, he recommends books and music that represents artist and authors from that area that the recipe was inspired. Some of the books I’ve recently add to my “to read pile.” For music, if the food includes Ingredients for a Caribbean, African or Louisiana cuisine, he will recommend an author or a song from someone who is in or from the region. For example, for a creole based meal-there’s a song by Lil Wayne because creole is big in Louisiana and lil Wayne is from Louisiana. There are plenty of songs I don’t know from all over the world, but I will give all of them a listen to expand my pallet. (I’m glad streaming music is so easy right now).



With each recipe, he tells you what it would be best served with. He also highlights what flavors will attach to your taste bud for each dish so you can get the flavor profile of the dish. So you would know if the dish is something you should try. I love the menu suggestion that create a full menu based on recipes in the book.



He tells you how to pick fresh fruits from the store or the market to get the best items. For example, pick pineapples that are fragrant at the stem. Pick mangoes that are soft to touch and have a fruity aroma. He also shares when is the best season to buy certain items.



When I was a kid, I always read books about places my mom could never take me. This book has taken me to Brazil￼￼, Ghana, Caribbean, ￼￼Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco, Louisiana, The South, North Carolina, Kenya, ￼Senegal, Salvador, Haiti and so many other places. I felt like a kid all over again.



The only con is I don’t know where I’m going to get some of the ingredients. For example, stuff-like orange blossom water or persimmon, or Teff Flour. I wish there was a glossary in the back of the book to describe some of the unknown items and where to generally get them from. But other people may not have an issue with this because of the power of ordering anything online.



Favorite Quote: “It is not enough to celebrate the food of the African diaspora without appreciating the people who gave birth to this rich culinary heritage.”



Without hesitation, I would recommend this book to anyone. This is the most well researched cookbook, I’ve ever came across. Thank you Bryant! I will be trying several of these recipes because now I’m a chef right?