Bryant Terry

If you really don't like cookbooks that are mostly not recipes, please buy a different book than this one. (I appreciated the content of the essays and poetry because it adds to my understanding of Black and African diaspora food culture and the recipes in the book.) If you get your panties in a wad over LGBTQ+ content, move along as well. If the word vegan gets your dander up, pass this one by. (Though there is a mix of vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and a few carnivorous recipes.) Of course, if "woke" gets you worked up, just hit yourself in the head extremely firmly with the rock you just crawled out from under.

The recipes and essays and poems and art in this book were contributed by a whole host of people. Some of it came from other books, including cookbooks, and some of it is completely new. Some of the recipes are rather chef-y/require 5 recipes to make the dish and some are simple and I think that they would be good for beginner cooks. There are a lot of Afro-Caribbean ingredients used by the diaspora like plantains, cassava, millet, callaloo, ackee, okra, collard greens, various legumes, coconut, saltfish, sweet potatoes, goat meat & goat milk, etc. These ingredients are very easy for me to find in Florida, but you might have difficulty finding them in other parts of the country.

This was a good read and I'd like to cook some recipes from this book in the future when I have some time.… (more)

About seven years ago, I chanced upon my first Bryant Terry book at my public library. I'd just moved and was exploring my new community while also doing some nesting in my new home. So visiting the library and trying new recipes were both on my agenda. His The Inspired Vegan opened up a new world of cooking for me—and when Afro-Vegan was issued a few months later, I immediately bought a copy.

Bryant Terry writes his cookbooks like a generous host, inviting us into his home, telling us stories, offering us a blend of familiar and new flavors—all accompanied by music. Seriously, check out the play lists that he includes in his cookbooks. They're a great source of energy and inspiration, whether in the kitchen or elsewhere.

Black Food has all the characteristics of a Bryant Terry cookbook: good food, stories, playlists and Black history. In Black Food he's not just inviting us into his home; he's introducing us to Black activists and cooks at what I can only call the most culturally rich potluck I've ever attended. Since not all those he profiles are vegan, this book includes recipes for dishes with meat and dairy, along with the delicious vegan food Terry specializes in.

This is a go-buy-it-now-and-maybe-stop-at-the-grocery-on-the-way-home cookbook. You won't want to wait to get cooking and to start meeting the people Terry's going to introduce you to.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGally. I also have already published a paper copy of this book now that it's out. It's that good.… (more)