BLACK FOOD: STORIES, ART & RECIPES FROM ACROSS THE AFRICAN DIASPORA ed. by Bryant Terry—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE
June 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Black Food, Bryant Terry, Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
I recently participated in a Community Read event at my local library, (Lower Macungie Library in Macungie, PA), in partnership with Longwood Gardens of Kennett Square, PA. This year’s theme was the connection between food and people, and food and gardening. The book we read was Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora, edited and curated by celebrated chef and writer Bryant Terry.
4 Color Books
an imprint of Ten Speed Press
2021
ISBN 978-1-9848-5972-3
Buy Links
The collection of essays and recipes was a unique exploration of topics such as, the bond between food and culture, food insecurity, the empowerment of taking charge of your food and health, the bounty of gardening, and food as a connector of people, among other topics.
Some of the stories were heart-wrenching. We followed the journey of one slave, ripped from her land, as she described braiding seeds into her hair in order to carry something of her food and culture to an unknown land.
The library, in addition, organized a variety of activities to enhance the reading and learning experience. In keeping with food and gardening, the library supplied planters, soil, and herbs for each of us to decorate our very own potted plant.
A registered dietician gave a talk on the common sense of eating well.
And as part of the book read, we each selected a recipe from the book to make and then share together. Below you can see my choice, Nicole Taylor’s Cocoa-Orange Fish. As she describes it on page 195 of the book, “Cocoa powder transforms both savory and sweet dishes. Its luxurious earthiness adds depth to proteins, like fish.”
I paired the catfish with okra and yams. The beverage is sorrel, also known as hibiscus flowers, with origins in Africa.
Black Food: Stories, Art and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora provides much food for thought (pun intended) and is an enlightening, inspiring, delicious, and empowering read.
And libraries are more than just a collection of books. They broaden our worldview and unite peoples and communities. I hope you enjoy and love your library as much as I appreciate mine!
Veronica Jorge
I’m off for the summer so see you next time on September 22nd!
Other Books Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
INCIDENT AT SAN MIGUEL BY A.J. SIDRANSKY—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE
May 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as A.J. Sidranksy, book review, Incident at San Miguel, Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
Incident at San Miguel
By A.J. Sidransky
Black Opal Books 2023
ISBN 978-1-953434-96-8
1950s Cuba, the pearl of the Caribbean, is the idyllic home of the Cohen family whose ancestors found refuge in Cuba after being exiled from Poland during World War II and the Nazi regime. The two Cohen brothers, Aaron and Moises, are up and coming young men ready to make their mark on the world.
Aaron, a bank lawyer, enjoys the relaxing nonchalance of the tropics and is eagerly hoping for a promotion, and planning his wedding.
Moises, somber and studious, and at odds with his family over his political stance, spends his time engrossed in Marxism, grappling with what he sees as the corruption inherent in the current society.
The relaxing nonchalance of the island paradise is thrown into an uproar by the fire of revolution, and the eventual overthrow of the government by Fidel Castro and his brother Raul.
Moises, enraptured by the revolution, determines to fight against “the cathedral of capitalism and its den of thieves.”
When property and businesses are confiscated, the young men’s parents find themselves living their own parents’ nightmares of having to flee their native country.
Marked an enemy of the working class, Aaron the banker, is sidelined and must now kowtow to former aides. Attempting to obtain visas out of the country for his family, he finds himself trapped in a cruel game of cat and mouse.
Desperate to save his family, Aaron seeks out his brother Moises for help. But he’s part of Fidel’s group. Will he help? Can he trust him?
How strong will family ties prove for two brothers on the opposite sides of revolution and history?
Destructive alliances, family ties, and the uplifting power of faith, culture, and love make Incident at San Miguel a compelling and engrossing read.
For more of Alan Sidransky’s books, in which he writes about ordinary people faced with extraordinary events and situations, check out his website at www.ajsidransky.com. You can also read my reviews on this blog of some of his other titles.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on June 22nd.
Other Books Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
REFUGEE by ALAN GRATZ—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE
April 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Alan Gratz, Refugee, Reviewed by Veronica Jorge, Scholastic Press
REFUGEE
Alan Gratz
Scholastic Press
2018
ISBN 978-0-545-880-831
News stories remind us daily of the migrant crisis throughout the world as people flee their homes for a variety of reasons. Refugee, by Alan Gratz, though written for a middle-grade audience, is a riveting novel for adults as well that draws us into the migrant experience from a child’s perspective.
Three continents. Three different time periods. Three children fleeing their countries.
Alan Gratz joins the past and the present to weave a gripping tale of the harrowing experiences of three children forced from their homes due to war and political unrest.
Josef yearns to celebrate his upcoming bar mitzvah and finally become a man. He just never expected it to be on a ship bound for Cuba, which he and his family board to escape out of Nazi Germany. When the ship is forced to return to Europe, and perhaps certain death, Josef finds himself thrust into adulthood and must make a decision that will determine the survival of his family.
Fast forward to 1994, when Cuba is teeming with food shortages and riots. Teenage Isabel finds herself on a questionable homemade raft. Together with her family and the neighbors next door, they depart for the United States. They just need the raft to hold up, avoid the Coast Guard, pray the sharks don’t get them, and hope that her mother, heavy with child, can survive the journey.
On the other side of the world, in 2015, war tears Syria apart, forcing Mahmoud’s father to seek a safe haven for his family. Amidst gunfire, danger, and the ever-present threat of death, they travel through Turkey and Serbia, enduring hunger, thieves, and prison. Mahmoud and his family continue onward through Austria and finally Germany, where the lives of the three children find a binding tie.
Refugee is a fast-paced, heart-rending story of the strength and courage of children and their valiant efforts, despite all obstacles, to forge a life filled with meaning and purpose.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on May 22nd!
Other Books Reviewed by Veronica
The Witch Whisperer: A Review by Veronica Jorge
March 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Barb Delong, book review, Keepers of Magic Series, The Witch Whisperer, Veronica Jorge
THE WITCH WHISPERER
Book 1 in the Keepers of Magic Series
BARB DELONG
The Wild Rose Press, 2023
ISBN 978-1-5092-4722-6
Willow Gladstone, one of the Elite witches with healing hands, strives for and is obsessed with being perfect. When her magic powers go awry: plates flying out of cupboards, silverware lifting off the table, and worse, she panics. As a witch living in a world of regular mortals, it’s her responsibility to keep her magic hidden and in check. If she can’t control her powers, the Bureau of Magic will incarcerate her in the secret witch society’s Haven, which she is sure is anything but.
Willow’s only option is to entrust herself into the hands of a recluse, living out a sentence on a secluded estate for his past misdeeds; Never Ravenwood, a man known as the Witch Whisperer, for his skill at fixing broken magic.
In Willow’s dire case, the cure for her broken magic is Bilbane, a special herb found only in the forbidden other-worldly realm of Tae-wan.
Willow and Never butt heads and match wits and unknowingly spark the unexpected yet much desired magic of love.
Never must decide if he should enter the magic portal into Tae-wan to obtain the Bilbane and heal Willow’s magic. Is his love for Willow strong and true enough to risk his life and the safety of their world? Willow questions what she wants most: the safety of the man she has fallen in love with, or the herb that can make her magic perfect?
What would you choose?
Enchantment, mayhem, danger, and love make The Witch Whisperer an entertaining and exciting read.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on April 22nd!
Read an interview of Barb DeLong here.
Book Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
A Piece of the World
February 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as books, Keeper Shelf, making memories, Veronica Jorge
A figurine, Delft blue. I remember that trip to Holland and laugh. As soon as our bus pulled into Delft, we piled out and made a beeline for the gift shop, searching for the souvenirs that would eternalize this journey. I turn the figurine over in my hand: a lady holding a basket, gazing out. What does she see? What memories is she holding on to? I dust the gracious lady and seat her back in the curio. As I reach for the next pieces and reminisce, I wonder what it is that makes me want to own a piece of everyplace I’ve been? To keep forever alive a moment, an experience, an emotion?
It’s the same with movies I’ve seen and loved. Gotta buy the VHS, then upgrade to the DVD in case the VHS goes bad. And even though I have both, I still watch the television film version when it airs and don’t mind enduring the intrusive commercials.
Then there are my books. Some with places of honor on shelves, the power of sentiment attached to each one. And designated piles: ‘To Read.’ ‘To Read Again.’ A wish list of books, ‘To Buy.’
When the news announced the banning of Harper Lee’s, To Kill A Mockingbird, I rushed to confirm I had a copy, which led to a thorough examination of which books might be brittle, yellowed and frayed. A new list formed: ‘Books to Replace.’
All of which leads me to conclude that maybe all of these actions explain my desire, my need, to write. A significant event, an emotion, an intense experience, compels me to want to immortalize it. I grit my 36 teeth and magically weave the 26 letters of the alphabet into some meaningful representation of the emotions exploding in my heart. A yearning to create stories that will last forever, that will be cherished by others and replaced over and over again because they’ve connected with a piece of my world and they too want to own it forever.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on March 22nd!
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