Jubilee

Starred review from September 16, 2019
James Beard Award–winner Tipton-Martin (The Jemima Code) collects and crafts recipes that cross generations and cultures in this fascinating cookbook. She frequently pairs a contemporary dish with historical antecedents: meatballs in barbecue sauce appear along with a sidebar for a “forced meat” (ground steak) recipe from an 1866 cookbook; and a Southern sweet potato cake incorporates mango in a nod to Senegalese tradition. The author exhibits sly humor, as when she recalls the uproar in 2014 when Whole Foods deemed collard greens “the new kale.” This volume is as useful as it is informative: for example, a beverage chapter kicks off with a discussion of how “drinks soothed the horrors of enslavement and oppression while lubricating spirits during religious acts,” and includes biographical sketches of historical figures (the owner of Fraunces Tavern in Revolutionary War–era New York City was Samuel Fraunces, from the West Indies and nicknamed “Black Sam”). There are gumbos and a peanut soup to start, as well as mains including beef stew, Caribbean roast pork, and fried chicken (one of four recipes is from a 1970 cookbook and uses a pressure cooker). Tipton-Martin enjoys unparalleled skill at building bridges between the past and the present, making this volume inspirational on many levels.

Starred review from December 1, 2019

Tipton-Martin (The Jemima Code) has written not just a cookbook, but a brief introduction to the history of African American cuisine. In the introduction, the author traces her personal history, detailing her childhood in South Central Los Angeles, as well as the development of African American cookbooks and foods throughout American history. Each chapter shines light on how African Americans shared and developed recipes during the years between the Civil War and the civil rights movement. The recipes themselves are presented with further history of the traditions that make the dishes part of African American culture. The recipes, recreations or updated versions, are straightforward and easy to follow. VERDICT More than a cookbook, this collections of recipes offers an excellent starting point for anyone interested in African American culinary history.--Danielle Williams, Univ. of Evansville

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 1, 2019
James Beard Award-winning culinary journalist and community activist Tipton-Martin spent decades collecting and researching more than 200 years of Black cookbooks before compiling that work into an anthology (The Jemima Code, 2015) and pop-up exhibit which traveled across North America. This cookbook embodies that research and honors the ancestors who crafted and honed those recipes. Tipton-Martin's knowledge and understanding of the caricatures and stereotypes so rampant throughout this history allow for a nuanced, respectful, loving view of the legacies of the cooks, chefs, and food experts she cites. The depth of context provided here is unusual but both appropriate and necessary today. Recipes?appetizers, breads, soups, salads, sides, vegetables, main dishes, desserts, and beverages? include a paragraph or two about each dishes' history and Tipton-Martin's process for the version presented here. Easy to follow and elegantly precise, it is clear that these recipes are the result of years of devoted artistry. Large color photographs bring the creations to life, and historical recipes included alongside many of the entries contain citations for the originator, source, and date. Indexed by both recipe and name, the rich detail and thorough yet exceedingly readable historical perspective make this cookbook unique and valuable. Recommended for all public library collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)