Books
Cook Book Chronicles Black Family Recipes
‘Pass It Down’ is part of Tavis Smiley’s publishing line
By Kam Williams
Special to
The Skanner News
“T
he Pass It Down
Cookbook
is
filled
with
recipes that reflect the gen-
erations-long need to docu-
ment and share our history
and culture… The recipes in
this book are accompanied
by personal stories that pro-
vide us with a unique oppor-
tunity to preserve our cook-
ing heritage…
Filled with poignant
memories of the past, and
the present triumphs of both
the acclaimed and unknown
black Americans who
impacted the way the whole
nation eats, this book gives
voice to everyday people
and their triumphs in the
kitchen… [It] also explores
how African-Americans
have impacted the economy,
the iconography, the prepa-
ration, and the very spirit of
American foods…
Our goal was to create a
collection that is both a
cookbook and community
memoir filled with great
food and even better sto-
ries… We hope, as you read
this book, it will become a
way to learn about and share
the bounty that is the
African-American contribu-
tion, not just to food, but to
the very identity of this
nation.”
— Excerpted from the
Preface (pgs. xii-xiv)
L
ast year, love advice
books were all the rage
in publishing, at least in
terms of the African-
American demographic. But
judging from the e arly
offerings of 2011, it looks
like the how-to focus has
shifted from the bedroom to
the kitchen.
After all, it’s only March,
and the Pass It Down
Cookbook already repre-
sents the fourth opus I’ve
reviewed with a heavy focus
on food. Granted the previ-
ous tomes, such as Culinary
Professor Jessica B. Harris’
“High on the Hog,” and
Janet Jackson’s memoir
“True You,” only had a
modest number of recipes,
while this one prominently
features in excess of 130.
Nonetheless,
in
this
reporter’s humble opinion,
the sudden attention to the
black diet is indicative of a
trend worth noting.
The Pass It Down
Cookbook is the latest in
Tavis Smiley’s “America I
Am” series celebrating 400
years of African-American
cultural contributions in a
variety of fields.
Augmenting the assorted
texts is a touring museum
exhibition highlighting the
undeniable black imprint
upon the nation.
Edited by Jeff Henderson,
Executive Chef at the
Bellagio Hotel and Casino
in Las Vegas, Pass It Down
is pretty evenly divided
between mouth-watering
menus and informative his-
tory lessons. In terms of the
latter, I found former
Clinton aide Adrian Miller’s
chapter on Presidential
Chefs quite enlightening.
From George Washington’s
slave Hercules who broke
Martha’s heart when he ran
away, to FDR’s head chef
Ida Allen, who prepared his
boss’ favorite dish, pigs’
feet, with a Southern flair
for guest of honor, Winston
Churchill,
each
entry
proved to be fairly fascinat-
ing.
As for the recipes
revealed here, they include
not only traditional soul
food like barbecued ribs and
fried chicken, but also some
heavenly haute cuisine such
as blackened salmon and
saporous strawberry cheese-
cake. Overall, Pass It Down
stands as an overdue testa-
ment to the legacy of
legions of underappreciated
culinary greats henceforth
apt to inspire the next gener-
ation of African-American
chefs endeavoring to stand
on the shoulders of giants.
pass it down Cookbook
Edited by Chef Jeff Henderson
With Ramin Ganeshram
Smiley Books
Paperback, $16.95
334 pages, Illustrated
ISBN: 978-1-4019-3135-3
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page 8 The Seattle Skanner March 23, 2011