#blackfoodwriters

[louisehagger]

📣 Please support this incredible project created by @riazphillips with over 100 British cooks from migrant backgrounds who have shared their comfort recipes inspired by their global heritage, to raise money for @majonzifund ❤️ LINK IN BIO 📣 For me, rice is my comfort food, especially my mum’s congee - I love anything that I can eat out of a bowl with a spoon or with my hands - that roti looks so good to mop up sauce!! These are some of the recipes from the e-book that have caught my 👀🤤🤤🤤 I’m making slide 7 this eve - @____t_a_n_y_a @devis_ldn Pav Bhakti Sloppy Joe 😋😋😋 ・・・ Repost @riazphillips with @get_repost ・・・ @community.comfort 📚 OUT NOW! Over 100 British Chefs from migrant backgrounds. Over 100 comfort food recipes all in one new e-book! Only £10. Curated & designed by 👦🏾 . Before all the ⬛️ I had a small idea to do something try to aide those hit the worst in this time and as we’ve seen those people are predominantly from our communities. All proceeds from this book will go towards the @majonzifund providing funds for the colleagues, friends & families of Black, Asian & Ethnic minority Covid-19 victims in the UK to access therapy, PTSD treatment, memorial services and more. Thanks so much to everyone who helped out!! Art by @javhux - Link to donate and DL in bio • • • • • #foodphotography #bame #poc #Blackfoodwriters #diaspora #bipoc #recipesfromthediaspora #communitycomfort #ebook #food52 #cookbook #community #recipebook #yummy @thefeedfeed #thefeedfeed @eater @eaterlondon @buzzfeedtasty @buzzfeed #recipes #eeeeeats #foodie #instafood #instagood #homecooking #inspo #eatwell #colour #theislondon #delicious #storytelling #eatwell (at Chingford, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDbhviVHWof/?igshid=1mqchoip6iv8d

[swseats]

ECLECTICLE 7/19

Eating My Feelings

I hope you might hold space for the truth that all your body wants from you is for you to live in it, and that your body is working every day to make that happen.

- Ijeoma Oluo

At this point 2020 is just half over and it has been a roller coaster ride of emotions. My family downsized from our home of almost 15 years to a new neighborhood and a much smaller existence. There have been uprisings, reckonings, and increased attention around racial inequity spurred by the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and a list of black and brown bodies that seems to keep growing. All of this during a raging pandemic that has many struggling with choices of how to keep themselves, their families and their community safe. Daily, folks are trying to keep themselves housed and fed. We're seeing beloved parts of our community shuttering for good as we grapple with this “new normal”. I have been having a lot of emotions to deal with.

If I were eating my feelings, this would be a meal that has me bloated and full to bursting. It would be a wretched meal that neither sustains nor nourishes -- leaving a sour taste in my mouth like milk having just gone off. A pitiful meal indeed. 

Canapés of fear. Antipasti of anxiety that I continue to pick at throughout the meal. Depression soup, helplessness salad, and finishing off with a deflated soufflé of exhaustion for dessert. 

But I have not been eating my feelings. I've been feeling them. Sometimes collectively while at other times they tumble over each other, one right after the other --  nonstop.  I have been taking them in and trying to transmute them into hope and action. Hope for what may be and the action to hold people and systems accountable for their words and allyship. Hope that this long-term struggle for change is making a difference. Action to continue to push so that the world is more accepting, equitable, supportive and loving. I am seeing the beginnings of a positive step forward in this country’s history and it is whetting my appetite for the potential of things to come.

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”

— John Lewis

What I’m Eating:

Belgian Style Cinnamon Waffles

I have NO idea why it didn’t occur to us to add cinnamon to waffles, but now that we have I’m not sure if I will be able to go back. This batch of Belgian Style waffles came up crispy golden on the outside and deliciously fluffy on the inside. And the hint of cinnamon made us want to throw together another batch to top with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert.

What I’m Reading:

A restaurateur and his partner in rural Minnesota find opportunity for their business and a chance to pass along his mother's legacy of making a difference. (NYT Paywall?)Two Chefs Moved to Rural Minnesota to Expand on Their Mission of Racial Justice

After a brief California update, this  article from the NY Times (paywall?) talks about a universal basic income pilot in Stockton CA. This may be a good indicator of how the program might work in other municipalities across the state. California Today: Should Californians Get Guaranteed Income?

Writing about what red palm oil is and what it represents Yewande Komolafe brings us a broader discussion about who is talking about food systems and how. The Problems With Palm Oil Don’t Start With My Recipes 

What I’m Listening To:

Podcast: East Bay Yesterday Episode 60 "We were being erased” The woman who saved California’s Black history   Liam O'Donoghue introduces us to Delilah Beasley Author of the book “The Negro Trailblazers of California.”  With little education or means, Beasley spent nearly a decade interviewing African American elders and digging through crumbling archives to compile a book that rescued dozens of notable Black figures from historical oblivion.

This was a really interesting talk given by local award winning social entrepreneur Jamie Facciola. Jamie’s work on developing local solutions to circular economy challenges has been covered in BBC News, Fast Company, GreenBiz and on the KQED podcast Rightnowish, which profiles the "movers and shakers that shape the place we call home."Sustainability Essentials Webinar - Circularity in Furnishings With Jamie Facciola

What I’m Watching:

This made my week! 

Dancing and music are one way this couple are using to improve their mental well being.

Chinese Village Couple's ‘Rural-Style Shuffle Dance’ Goes Viral

[illmakeitmyself]

Got to see Michael Twitty @thecookinggene last night at his author talk on The Cooking Gene. I can’t fit all of his genius into a few tweets or an Insta post (thank goodness @seattlepubliclibrary is releasing this author talk as a podcast), but so I want to share something he said from when he signed my copy of The Cooking Gene. Because I have no chill around people I admire, especially food writers, I think all my starstruck ass managed to say was “I’m a queer food blogger and your work is really cool” (“really cool” doesn’t even cover it!! 😭) and he said that sometimes people ask him “what does food has to do with being gay?” and vice versa. I’m paraphrasing here, but he told me that every LGBTQ+ person has a personal relationship to food informed by their identities. (The Cooking Gene and his other writing about food and identity covers his relationship to food and foodways through being Black, being Southern, being Jewish, being gay.) Now y’all’ve got it on good authority that food is queer. 🌈 And then he told me two important things: first, that we have to keep fighting (as queer folks against injustice and for our lives), and second, that he and his friends used to host a Rainbow Thanksgiving where everyone had to bring a dish that was rainbow-colored or the colors of one of the pride flags. Both messages were equally important. Thank you from the bottom of my bisexual nonbinary food-obsessed Midwestern-transplant heart. 🌈🌈💖💜💙 . . . . #thecookinggene #michaeltwitty #lhpac #blackfoodwriters #queerfoodwriters #jewishfoodwriters #southernfood #gobuythisbook #seattlepubliclibrary (at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqLSs-zHrrF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=l244de39hq5z

[swseats]

ECLECTICLE 06/01

Rabbit Rabbit

We can't predict what will happen in the coming weeks, or months, or even years, but we sure as hell can take charge of how we live them. - Gustavo Arellano, Canto CII

It's been a minute.

Life happens. In the last 5 months, we've been packing up 13 years of a life, finding a new place to land, and trying to get settled. I took a little hiatus from writing. Just trying to let the dust settle amidst all the Corona Virus/Shelter In Place shenanigans. And then Christian Cooper happened. And then the tragic killing of George Floyd . And then the arrest of CNN Reporter Omar Jiminez. I’m done with this year already. 

It's been a struggle coping with all the happenings of late. Racial injustice continues to run rampant, COVID-19 is sickening and killing people at an alarming rate, federal and local governments are flailing. Mental health issues of loved ones present challenges, and self care is not easy to come by. But I am fixing that last one. I have to.

If I looked at the beginning of the year in another way, I could say that this has been a year of opportunity. On the personal front, the move has forced us to downsize. To just jettison that which we do not need - we still have a ways to go. For the country, we have a big opportunity to move our nation toward more anti-racist positions and begin the tough work of dismantling some of the systemic inequalities that exist. 

What I need to do is re-frame the last few months. To muster my courage, gather my stamina, and get things done. Let's hope the nation can do the same.

It's been a tough week. 

"And still I rise". 

I'm sure this too shall pass...just not today.

Food is about relationships and power: who cooks for whom, who can leave the table without cleaning, who picks the strawberries, who pockets the profits. And not all relationships are healthy. - Dr. Cynthia Greenlee 

What I’m eating:

French Toast

Even before sheltering in place started, we were making our own bread at home. Now that I am modifying my food intake (doctor’s orders), The Spouse made a loaf of Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread. Came out great! But what’s better than a #WholeWheat #Sourdough #Loaf? Whole Wheat Sourdough Pain Perdue. #oneluckyguy

What I’m reading:

Jonathan Cooper has an amazing eye and the ability to make interesting, compelling, and beautiful photography...of food. Photographer Jonathan Cooper is taking culinary art to a new level Be sure to check out Jonathan’s stunning photography on his website: Coopernicus Photos

Beautiful writing from Leslie Lamar Parker, an author that has unfortunately left us much too soon. I won’t remember COVID-19. I’ll remember Sunday Dinner

What I’m watching:

James Beard 2020 Award winning documentary That's my Jazz -  when I say this is really F'ing good...well...It's REALLY F'ING GOOD.  The doc shares the story of Milt Abel II, his journey, and how it was impacted by his relationship with his dad, the legendary jazz performer Milt Abel. Pro tip:  STAY FOR THE CREDITS!  That’s My Jazz | A Breakwater Original

[swseats]

ECLECTICLE 2/17

What are the moments that have changed the direction of your life? Were they huge clanging events, or were they more subtle? Happening right under your nose without you realizing what was going on.

It's taken me a couple of weeks to watch this Ted Talk by Traca Savadogo (Sorry Traca 😁) I've watched it twice now. What struck me was the idea that we are already "In the room where it happens", to borrow a lyric from Hamilton. We just need to show up, be present, and engage.

Had my husband not taken the chance to approach a perfect stranger, we would not have the life we have shared over the last 20+ years. Had a former neighbor not struck up a random conversation on the bus, I would not have begun singing, culminating in some of the closest friendships I am still fortunate to have.

Figuring out how to be present and participate in the moment is not a skill everyone is born with. For me it takes a concerted effort to get out of my head. In social situations I generally don't begin conversations. I was not born with that gene. 

To make up for this perceived shortcoming, I have made an agreement with myself. In a social situation If someone engages me, I make it a point to ask at least one question that may further the conversation. This strategy has paid off in positive ways. I end up feeling more connected and discover new and interesting things.

The challenge becomes deciding to ask those questions -- having those, as Traca puts it "Curiosity Conversations". Allowing ourselves to participate in those subtle moments that just may change our lives. It is an ongoing process, and I believe we're all the better for it.

+++

What I’m eating:

From croissants to tarts to the morning buns, baked goods from FOURNEÉ BAKERY are a worthy treat. The first time I had a chocolate croissant I was a fan. #protip grab an extra pastry to enjoy the next day with your morning tea or coffee. You're worth it!

What I’m reading:

A good soufflé is *totally* my jam. So HUZZAH to the return of the soufflé! “Soufflé, Boomer” by Adam Erace 

In the ongoing battle of child nutrition, the current US Administration is cutting back on Obama era lunch reforms. And I'm not convinced it's a good thing. Trump’s USDA Weakens School Nutrition - Yet Again

This interesting article from Robin Caldwell for Black Southern Belle not only brings a celebration of Low Country Rice and the folks that cultivate it, but also introduced me to the BEAUTIFUL work of artist Jonathan Green. Low Country Food Heritage Celebrating Rice Culture

Omar Tate takes us on his journey to share his history (*our* History?) through a Black lens and the Honeysuckle project. The Wisdom of the Giants

What I'm listening to:

The interior design of a space, whether work space or eating establishment, can convey so much about not only the owners of a space, but who they are expecting to serve. Is it comforting or sterile? Designed for hanging out or for a quick “grab and go”? Ambiance means something.

Coffee Shops In Gentrifying Neighborhoods: Why Design Matters

What I’m watching:

This how-to vid from Emmy at Emmymade In Japan's YouTube channel combines science, technique, and a new (and easy) addition to your dessert making arsenal. I wonder how it will work with instant strawberry or chocolate mix.

Magic Coffee Whipped Cream

[swseats]

ECLECTICLE 6/18

You Protest Your Way...

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel

I have come to  realize that for some of us, just existing can be a political act in itself. The simple act of showing up -- being in those spaces where the default is heteronormative and white -- could make a difference. I think of it as my subtle way of disrupting the status quo. The intention is to be visible. To be seen. I want to chip away at the perception of Black people as a monolith. The number of seminars and workshops and mixers I’ve gone to, fully knowing that there would be few if any of “us” there, is legion. I go partially for the education and interaction, but also to be a presence that says “We’re here too and we deserve to be here”. A kind of normalizing, as it were, of seeing Black faces in these largely white environments. 

Perhaps being present has made a difference. Maybe it has broadened someone’s horizon, or challenged their perceptions of who Black people are. Perhaps not. It is difficult to tell. But one thing I do know for sure is that it’s not been enough. It is time to do more than just put my feet on the floor in the morning and walk out my front door.

“To spend one's life being angry, and in the process doing nothing to change it, is to me ridiculous. I could be mad all day long, but if I'm not doing a damn thing, what difference does it make?”

― Charles Fuller

I’m not one for public demonstrations and protests. Maybe it’s the crowds, but that’s not my jam. I choose to protest in other ways. First of all I vote. Supporting those candidates with platforms that center on equity and changing the systems of supremacy that keep so many of our country’s ills in place. I can also vote with my dollars, shopping responsibly and supporting small local businesses where I can. I also seek to amplify voices and causes that should be heard more often. Especially Black voices. I want to diversify the conversation and add to the richness of the dialogues we have day to day. And when I can, donate financial support to groups doing important work in the community. 

Now, more than ever, it is time to use what privilege and voice I may have to actively create the world that I want my children to live in. A world that is fair, just, and equitable. A world that looks at itself, with open eyes, seeking to learn from the atrocities of the past, while holding fast to the promise of the future. 

Equity and equality are two strategies we can use in an effort to produce fairness. Equity is giving everyone what they need to be successful. Equality is treating everyone the same. Equality aims to promote fairness, but it can only work if everyone starts from the same place and needs the same help. 

-- Amy Sun

What I’m Eating:

SOFRITO

To quote food writer Illyanna Maisonet (1st Puerto Rican food columnist in the country and 2019 IACP Award Winner), “Nearly every savory Puerto Rican dish begins with the soulful application of this aromatic paste”. As I’ve experienced more and more Puerto Rican cuisine I’ve fallen in love with the flavor and versatility of sofrito. Around my household this punchy flavor bomb -- composed of tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno (my family’s fave combo) --  has managed to find its way into everything from eggs and omelettes, to burritos, to quick pasta bowls and more. It’s wonderfully simple to make and we always have some on hand to spice up all kinds of dishes. Here is a link to Illyanna Maisonet’s Sofrito Recipe. It’s simple and delicious. You’ll want to use it again and again!

What I’m Reading:

Atlas Obscura is always full of fascinating yet oddball bits of information. For instance, who knew the prolific Black French author Alexandre Dumas had written a hefty tome on cooking? Now to keep my eye out for a copy! Alexandre Dumas’s Magnum Opus Was a Massive Cookbook

"You have a community out there who are willing to hold you and hold space for you." - Iresha Picot GirlTrek Uses Black Women's History To Encourage Walking As A Healing Tradition

A long but interesting read that helps us recenter conversations and actions on black and brown health and wellness.  “‘So, what we’re not going to do is …’: Respectability politics and white supremacist logic during…” by Lisa Betty 

What I’m Listening To:

From Okorie "Okcelo" Johnson's 2018 Album Resolve, this track ( "Zoot Suit") embodies all the things I love about the cello. A traditional instrument taken into a modern, mellow, and melodic direction. This was my #SundayMorningSoundtrack for sure. Artist: Okorie Johnson Cut: Zoot Suit

Why does it not surprise me that space suits have not been redesigned to accommodate more women astronauts in “lo these many years”. And that's not all.  Big Picture Science Skeptic Check: Data Bias - Racial and gender disparity.

What’s Doing?: 

The Town Kitchen

I really can’t say enough good things about the folks at The Town Kitchen and what they are doing in the Bay Area. The Town Kitchen is a local community-driven food company that employs and trains our youth by delivering chef-crafted meals and supplies to corporate and home clients.

With every $100 spent with The Town Kitchen Provisions, 3 hours of employment and apprenticeship for under served youth in the Bay Area is created.

If you're looking for a business lunch, wanting to switch things up at home, or need to fill in on some of those pantry items, consider ordering from The Town Kitchen. It’s good food and a good way to make a difference in the community.

[swseats]

ECLETICLE 6/11

Fighting The Status Quo

The last couple of weeks have felt like a non-stop roller coaster. From the ridiculous, to the delightful, to the inspirational my emotions have been whip-lashing back and forth. But one thing that has become clear is that it can no longer be business as usual. It’s time to put actions to our words.

One of my early jobs in the food world was with a small local food business. One of the two business owners threw regular temper tantrums. For well over two years I was gaslit into believing this was somehow normal. Complaints to his business partner fell on deaf ears. And yet, none of us quit. None of us left the abusive relationship. Everyone knew what was going on, but none of us did anything about it.

“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.”

– Angela Davis

Two weeks before my final day, the boss was bullying a new employee. His words were flying around the shop like an exploded pressure cooker full of poached chicken -- scalding everything it touched. At that moment I had a revelation. If I continued to sit idly by and take no action, I was complicit in his behavior. By saying nothing I was co-signing his abuse and harassment. It took me less than an hour to draft my resignation. I could no longer support the status quo.

At some point, we all get the opportunity to decide whether to stay with things as they are, or find a way to make change happen. And sometimes, that means leaving a bad situation behind so that we can move forward. I am choosing to believe that for communities across our country, the time is now. I would like to think that we are in the midst of a movement that is quitting the existing structures of injustice and racism. We have the opportunity to build new, more equitable systems that work for us all. This is our moment. Let’s take advantage and make it happen.

What I’m eating:

APPLE PIE

I have needed to find ways to distract myself from all stuff swirling around in my head lately. We also have an excess of apples that need using. Taking a page from Nancie McDermott (who regularly motivates me to just get in the kitchen and “do it”), I decided to make my first pie at the new place. A Rum Apple Pie to be exact. I used Organic Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples from our Farm Fresh To You CSA Box. I love to combine different apples in a pie. To the apples I tossed in some cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, sugar, and flour. I Still have a few tweaks to make, but overall the result was not bad. 

What I’m reading:

#Andnowyouknow  The difference between a chocolatier and a chocolate maker. "And really, what’s more fun at a mixer than a group of chocolatiers?”

I cannot decide if I should rush out to get Rachel Vorona Cote's Too Much: How Victorian Constraints Still Bind Women Today, or Beverly Cleary's Ramona Quimby Books. Cote's article, How Ramona Quimby Taught a Generation of Girls to Embrace Brashness makes a good case for young girls to embrace their right to be "Too Much". Perhaps this is something we can all learn.

Javier Cabral's article Why Did It Take a White Chef to Pique My Interest in My Own Mexican Culture? is self revelatory and relatable for many of us. Interesting thoughts on why it took him so long to come around to the food of his heritage.

What I'm listening to:

This song by Andra Day is as beautiful as it is moving and soul stirring. I think it qualifies as an anthem for our times. Andra Day “Rise Up”

What I’m watching:

This TEDx talk by Scott Woods, Life in a Razor-Shaped City | TEDxColumbus is as relevant today as it was when it was created.

Actress and singer Jill Scott has been part of the soundtrack of my life for at least twenty years. Her voice, lyrics, and styling are incomparable.I needed this break today.  And don't think I missed the fact that her back up singers are all men. Go 'head Ms. Scott. Go 'head.  “Do You Remember” & “Is It The Way” | NAACP Image Awards