"Including 40 recipes"--Cover

Introduction : The stories we tell -- The diverse roots of American cuisine -- Enslaved Black labor & wealth generation -- Nationalizing Black cuisine -- Looking ahead -- A celebratory feast -- Epilogue : Where do we go now?

"In this historical narrative -- complemented by 50 mouthwatering recipes -- Anela Malik takes readers on an illuminating deep dive into the Black roots of American cuisine. Uncovering the rich, indelible, and often unrecognized contributions of Black culture in shaping the footprint of some of America's most iconic food traditions, American Soul explores more than 300 years of culinary history, from enslavement to modern-day dining trends, with nuance and empathy. Featuring reflections and recipes from dozens of Black chefs, restaurateurs, historians, and luminaries, this beautifully illustrated volume explores West African contributions to American cuisine, how Black food folks fueled the civil rights movement, Black veganism, the rise of Black food festivals in the United States today, and so much more. Throughout this eye-opening exploration, you'll find delicious recipes such as: Southern Skillet Cornbread; Son of a Gun Stew; Pickled Watermelon Rinds; Benjamin "BJ" Dennis's Chicken Purloo; Jerome Grant's Jerk Pork Lumpia; Cheryl Day's Blackberry Cobbler. This captivating and profound reflection on the Black diaspora of American cuisine will leave you hungry for more" --