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
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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
Tracy Reed: Our June Featured Author
June 21, 2023 by Tracy Reed in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Beautiful Men, fashion, Sophisticated Romance, the Big Apple, Tracy Reed
Tracy Reed: Our June Featured Author
A California native, novelist Tracy Reed pushes the boundaries of her Christian foundation with her sometimes racy and often fiery tales.
After years of living in the Big Apple, this self proclaimed New Yorker draws from the city’s imagination, intrigue, and inspiration to cultivate characters and plot lines who breathe life to the words on every page.
Tracy’s passion for beautiful fashion and beautiful men direct her vivid creative power towards not only novels, but short stories, poetry, and podcasts. With something for every attention span.
Tracy Reed’s ability to capture an audience is unmatched. Her body of work has been described as a host of stimulating adventures and invigorating expression.
Books by Tracy Reed
Tracy Reed: Our June Featured Author
June 14, 2023 by Tracy Reed in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Beautiful Men, fashion, Sophisticated Romance, the Big Apple, Tracy Reed
Tracy Reed: Our June Featured Author
A California native, novelist Tracy Reed pushes the boundaries of her Christian foundation with her sometimes racy and often fiery tales.
After years of living in the Big Apple, this self proclaimed New Yorker draws from the city’s imagination, intrigue, and inspiration to cultivate characters and plot lines who breathe life to the words on every page.
Tracy’s passion for beautiful fashion and beautiful men direct her vivid creative power towards not only novels, but short stories, poetry, and podcasts. With something for every attention span.
Tracy Reed’s ability to capture an audience is unmatched. Her body of work has been described as a host of stimulating adventures and invigorating expression.
Books by Tracy Reed
Finalist in the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
June 13, 2023 by Bethlehem Writers Group in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as An Element of Mystery, Bethlehem Writers Group LLC, Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC is thrilled to announce An Element of Mystery, Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Intrigue is a finalist in the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
About the An Element of Mystery
An Element of Mystery: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of intrigue is the latest in Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC award-winning series of Sweet, Funny, and Strange® anthologies. From classic whodunnits to tales of the unexplained, each of the twenty-three stories has an element of mystery that will keep you guessing and wanting to read just one more story.
We’re thrilled to have old friends, but new members of BWG, join us this year. Award-winning author Debra H. Goldstein favors us with a mystery set among volunteers at a synagogue entitled “Death in the Hand of the Tongue,” while “Sense Memory,” by the multi-talented Paula Gail Benson, brings a delightful mix of mystery and the paranormal that helps a young couple find their way to each other.
In addition, we are happy to bring you the winning stories from two of our annual Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award competitions: “Good Cop/Bad Cop” by Trey Dowell (2021 winner) and “The Tabac Man” by Eleanor Ingbretson (2022 winner).
You’ll also find stories from your favorite BWG authors, including Courtney Annicchiarico, Jeff Baird, Peter J Barbour, A. E. Decker, Marianne H. Donley, Ralph Hieb, DT Krippene, Jerry McFadden, Emily P. W. Murphy, Christopher D. Ochs, Dianna Sinovic, Kidd Wadsworth, Paul Weidknecht, and Carol L. Wright.
So get ready to be mystified . . . or intrigued!
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More Award-Winning Books from BWG
Next Generation Indie Book Awards
The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest International awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. In its seventeenth year of operation, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in 80+ different categories, for the year, and is presented by Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen Literary Agency (formerly the Allen O’Shea Literary Agency).
0 0 Read moreA Season of Change
June 12, 2023 by Denise M. Colby in category The Writing Journey by Denise ColbyI chose the word Change this year because I knew I would have a large season of change in my life. Well, here I am, right in the thick of it and I couldn’t be more excited.
See, my youngest is graduating high school this week. And my middle son graduated college a few weeks ago. We’ve been busy with lots of lasts. Choir and theater performances, award shows, academic awards, you name it, we’ve been at it. It’s been chaos, but it’s been all worth it.
The chaos of getting everything ready and organizing schedules. Trying to get from one place to another and everyone fed on the way. The crazy after the event to go home and prep for what comes the next day. Hurrying from one event to another, getting in line early to get good seats, then finally settling in those seats ready to cheer on your child and their friends. It’s only then, when the show starts and you see it all come together. And all the chaos has changed into something great!
Many people think of the word change, negatively. But I found one definition stating change is to replace something with something else, especially something of the same thing that is newer or better.
Sometimes our writing needs to go from chaos to great
There’s a lot of chaos in the sentences we write. We have more than one way we can portray a character or communicate a scene. And as we try different angles, chaos reigns. But if we stay with it, if we push through the chaos, we see great change. And that’s what we ultimately are striving for.
Embracing this season of change and hopefully the next
I’ve been all in for this season. Embracing every event and enjoying every minute. I’ve taken a break from writing, so that I could be available for my family. It’s shown me a fresh perspective and I’m living my word this year, which is exactly what I wanted.
I’m looking forward to the next few months though, when I should have a bit more time to look at the chaos in my writing again and focus my energies on changing it into something great.
Denise Colby loves to write about her word of the year. Each word builds a new layer in her writing journey (and her life). In 2022, her word was Work. This year, her word is change.
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