"The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food"

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Chef Marcus Samuelsson celebrates the variety of Black food

If anyone asks chef Marcus Samuelsson what African food taste like, he has a ready answer: Have you ever had barbeque? Rice? Collard greens? Okra? Coffee?
“All of that food comes from Africa, has its roots in Africa," says the Ethiopian Swedish writer and restaurateur. “Everyone has had African American dishes, whether they know it or not.”

Samuelsson is hoping to educate Americans and champion Black chefs in “The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food” from Little, Brown and Company's Voracious imprint. The book has 150 recipes inspired by Black chefs, writers and activists, and includes profiles of 26. The recipes celebrate the legacy of Africa, the influence of migration and integration, and where cutting-edge Black chefs are going next.

The book took four years to make and had to grapple with the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. Samuelsson says in his author's note that the effects of COVID-19 will stay in the Black community for longer than elsewhere and that the nation must also fight the virus of systemic racism. But he marvels at the resiliency of the Black community and says “Black food matters.”

“Whether this is your first experience making African-inspired dishes or you’re familiar with them, my hope is this book will spark an interest – or continue one – and you’ll want to learn more about the people redefining and celebrating this cuisine,” said Endolyn.

https://www.goerie.com/story/entertainment/2020/11/08/chef-marcus-samuelsson-celebrates-variety-black-food/6161300002/