Set The Standard The Next Time You Set The Table With These Very Black Cookbooks
While Black Texans and communities across the South have been observing Juneteenth as a celebration of freedom since 1866, for many of us, the holiday is still new. Author Nicole A. Taylor grew up with Freedom Day Celebrations that included all-day cookouts with creative salads, mouthwatering dessert spreads, and glasses of “red drink” to wash it all down. With Watermelon and Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebration, she brings 21st-century flavors to the traditional African-American table, creating 75 recipes that stand as an homage to “all the places we’ve been, all the people we have come from, all the people we have become, and all the culinary ideas we have embraced.”
But Nicole has packed in much more than reimaginings of Southern classics with recipes like Beef Ribs with Fermented Harissa Sauce, Peach Jam and Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs, Southern-ish Potato Salad and Radish and Ginger Pound Cake. The cookbook also includes masterful essays about the history of African-American cuisine and a resource guide to BIPOC-owned hot sauces, jams, spice, and waffle mix companies, and lists of fun gadgets to make your Juneteenth special.