In Celebration of Black History Month

It's hard to overestimate the impact African cooks have had on American cuisine. Forced to come here as slaves, they brought vegetables and cooking methods with them. As time passed, they graciously shared their knowledge, providing Southern cuisine with its particular flavor.

I was delighted to find a copy of The Historical Cookbook of the American Negro: The Classic Yearlong Celebration of Black Heritage from Emancipation Breakfast Cake to Wandering Pilgrim's Stew. This handsome volume was compiled by the National Council of Negro Women in the 1950s, and has been re-issued this year.

The book is organized by month, with the recipes in each celebrating a great woman or man in and for black history. Phyllis Wheatley, the first African-American poet, George Washington Carver (with his own recipes!), the Anniversary Cake served to Booker T. Washington and his wife. Presidents of colleges, founders of Sunday schools, many people who braved segregation and intolerance are celebrated on these pages.

The recipes themselves do require a bit of foreknowledge of cooking--it's assumed that you know how long to cook items in some cases, and the proper way to mix ingredients. The history available here is well worth the eccentricities of the recipes; anyone interested in the history of America, will find this book a treasure.

To learn more about the history and impact of African cooking, go to: http://www.themestream.com/gspd_browse/b...

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