Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Although I live in the far North, I was aware of Ms. Tipton-Martin's reputation as a scholar of African-American culinary history, and was happy to pay full price for this volume. I did not expect to be stunned, on nearly every page, by the author's extensive research, for which she drew in large part on her collection of more than 400 Black cookbooks dating back to 1827. I felt privileged to learn of the rich and fascinating history of not only the cuisine, but every recipe. This is my kind of cookbook: from the extensive chapter introductions and headnotes, I learned something on every page. As a Caucasian, so much of the culinary history and its backstories were, I am sorry to say, new to me. Moreover, I stuck a quite respectable number of Post-It's on the book's pages, and I look forward to honoring these traditions by making many dishes from the book. Only a few of the ingredients are not accessible to me, living as I do in the middle of nowhere; and so, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I can find the vast majority easily. The author occasionally suggests substitutions and brand names: two things that are always appreciated! Finally, almost every recipe has a gorgeous color photo, the exceptions being simple sauces and dressings.