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Wednesday, October 3, 2018

October/November selection The Cooking Gene

I was glad to see  The Cooking Gene, A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael Twitty mentioned on our suggestion page, as it was already on my to-be-reading list. I have had the pleasure to meet Michael Twitty in person and listen to him: he is an engaging speaker. I am thrilled to read his book and share the experience with others.


 The Cooking Gene is "Michael’s personal mission to document the connection between food history and family history from Africa to America, from slavery to freedom." (source)

The Cooking Gene has won the 2018 James Beard Foundation's Book Of The Year Award.

A renowned culinary historian offers a fresh perspective on our most divisive cultural issue, race, in this illuminating memoir of Southern cuisine and food culture that traces his ancestry—both black and white—through food, from Africa to America and slavery to freedom... 
As he takes us through his ancestral culinary history, Twitty suggests that healing may come from embracing the discomfort of the Southern past. Along the way, he reveals a truth that is more than skin deep—the power that food has to bring the kin of the enslaved and their former slaveholders to the table, where they can discover the real America together.
A quote from Twitty can be seen on the walls of the Sweet Home Café at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (you can see it and read the details in this post).


Deadline for contributing your post: Friday, November 30, 2018.

Remember that anyone can participate in Cook the Books: simply pick up a copy of the selection from your local bookstore or library, take inspiration from said reading, cook and post the inspired dish. We look forward to having you read and cook along with in this selection period and beyond. New participants are always welcomed with open arms! (Leave a comment here or check out our Guidelines page if you have any questions.) 

This selection brings to a close the current set of four: be on the lookout for a post where we announce the next four selections.
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11 comments:

  1. Alicia FoodycatOctober 3, 2018 at 5:59 AM

    I've been wanting to read that! I'll have to bring it higher up the list.

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  2. Simona CariniOctober 3, 2018 at 6:46 AM

    Glad to read the book is on your reading list, Alicia.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Debra EliotseatsOctober 6, 2018 at 8:43 AM

    I am excited to read this one, Simona. Need to get started on it. November is always so busy!

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  4. Simona CariniNovember 27, 2018 at 10:01 AM

    Here's my contribution: https://www.pulcetta.com/2018/11/recipe-delicata-squash-stuffed-fagiolina-trasimeno-leek.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. ClaudiaNovember 28, 2018 at 3:00 AM

    My post is up now: https://honeyfromrock.blogspot.com/2018/11/spoon-bread-and-ribs-for-cooking-gene.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Debra EliotseatsNovember 28, 2018 at 6:52 PM

    Mine just went up. http://eliotseats.com/2018/11/28/my-cooking-gene/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lynda HardyNovember 29, 2018 at 3:17 PM

    I'm so glad you chose this book, Simona! My post is up: https://rchreviews.blogspot.com/2018/11/cook-books-cooking-gene-persimmon-quick.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. Simona CariniNovember 29, 2018 at 9:10 PM

    Thank you Claudia, Debra and Lynda for your contribution :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Camilla M. MannNovember 30, 2018 at 3:16 PM

    Simona, mine will be up later today. Late, late, late. I know. I'm sorry! If it's too late to include it in the round-up, that's okay.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Simona CariniNovember 30, 2018 at 5:02 PM

    Thank you for the alert, Camilla. Please do not worry: the deadline is end of the day today so you are not late. Looking forward to seeing your contribution :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Camilla M. MannNovember 30, 2018 at 5:57 PM

    It's live, Simona! https://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/2018/11/braised-beef-brisket-with-grapes-and.html

    ReplyDelete