Scan barcode
Reviews
Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking: A Cookbook by Toni Tipton-Martin
jess_mango's review
4.0
4.5 stars
Excellent, approachable cookbook of African American recipes. So far I've made the bread pudding and the Creole Shrimp and they've both gotten rave reviews. I have at least a dozen other recipes bookmarked.
Excellent, approachable cookbook of African American recipes. So far I've made the bread pudding and the Creole Shrimp and they've both gotten rave reviews. I have at least a dozen other recipes bookmarked.
lsparrow's review
4.0
Amazing recipies - loved the amazing vegetable recipes.
Perhaps it is my bias towards okra and greens that made me love this book.
beautiful pictures.
Perhaps it is my bias towards okra and greens that made me love this book.
beautiful pictures.
wrentheblurry's review
5.0
4.5 stars, rounded up! Every recipe a winner--I used this for my August CTBBC book.
rebcamuse's review
5.0
To categorize this solely as a cookbook would not even come close to capturing this work of art. It is an exquisitely-written history that intertwines a wealth of research, nostalgia (in the best way), and a "larger vision of African American culinary history" (311) that both embraces and expands beyond soul food and the standard narrative. [a:Toni Tipton-Martin|221295|Toni Tipton-Martin|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-6a03a5c12233c941481992b82eea8d23.png] says:
There is no clichéd history here. Instead, Tipton-Martin crafts a story of urban enclaves in Los Angeles, Louisiana kitchens, Civil War plantations, West African villages, "African botanical heritage" (15), segregated black towns in Kansas...all of it, she says, to "help you see some of the ways dishes and styles have evolved over time, spurring your imagination, broadening your perception of the black culinary experience." (17) She picks up the unfinished work of Arthur (Arturo) Schomburg, the Afro-Puerto Rican historian who started an outline that would celebrate "black cooking as an expression of black achievement." (14)
Tipton-Martin sees all the moving parts of history--the shifting narratives, the untold stories, and the hegemonic stereotypes (e.g. Aunt Jemima). I have not yet read her [b:The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks|25175956|The Jemima Code Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks|Toni Tipton-Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427508595l/25175956._SX50_.jpg|44881961], but that is absolutely going on the list of must reads. Jubilee is fully deserving of its awards on merit of the narrative alone, but then there are the recipes...
For the uninitiated (like myself), there are some surprises in store. Despite two lengthier trips to New Orleans, I learned that "'Barbecue shrimp' is just the name Louisiana Creole cooks assigned to shrimp braised in wine, beer, or a garlic-butter sauce." My Italian grandma would have recognized the recipe as what she called "scampi" with...Worcestershire sauce. There are several wonderful meat recipes I haven't tried yet, but I've dug into some of the veggie ones. The "Braised Summer Squash with Onions" pairs rosemary, bacon drippings, and patience for probably the only summer squash I've ever actually enjoyed. The "Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Curried Dressing" might make you rethink your dislike of raw vegetables (do make this one ahead, however, unless you like very sweet mayonnaise--the sugar needs time to dissolve and draw out the flavor from the veggies). There are "classics" too, including an absolutely terrific "Country-Style Potato Salad" that will be my "go-to" recipe henceforth. Split into sections on appetizers, beverages, breads, soups & salads, sides & vegetables, main dishes, and desserts, it is hard not to keep this book on the kitchen counter everyday.
What is also very striking is how Tipton-Martin steps back (unlike so many other cookbook authors), and amplifies ancestral voices, colleagues' voices, and steps back in just to put in her own twist here and there. The photos by Jerrelle Guy and Eric Harrison are stunning. The food and its history take center stage.
And back to the barbecue shrimp-meets-scampi. As with many of the sentences she writes, Tipton-Martin packs in a lot of punch that reminds those of us who are not part of the African diaspora why we need to read the book:
And as much as there are common threads, there is also a "distinct African American canon" (14) that celebrates the creative force of hard truths, ingenious spirit, and culinary artistry that is the tapestry of African American food.
And I have tried to end dependency on the labels "Southern" and "soul," and on the assumptions that limit my ancestors' contributions to mindlessly working the fields where the food was grown, stirring the pot where the food was cooked, and passively serving food in the homes of the master class.
There is no clichéd history here. Instead, Tipton-Martin crafts a story of urban enclaves in Los Angeles, Louisiana kitchens, Civil War plantations, West African villages, "African botanical heritage" (15), segregated black towns in Kansas...all of it, she says, to "help you see some of the ways dishes and styles have evolved over time, spurring your imagination, broadening your perception of the black culinary experience." (17) She picks up the unfinished work of Arthur (Arturo) Schomburg, the Afro-Puerto Rican historian who started an outline that would celebrate "black cooking as an expression of black achievement." (14)
Tipton-Martin sees all the moving parts of history--the shifting narratives, the untold stories, and the hegemonic stereotypes (e.g. Aunt Jemima). I have not yet read her [b:The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks|25175956|The Jemima Code Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks|Toni Tipton-Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427508595l/25175956._SX50_.jpg|44881961], but that is absolutely going on the list of must reads. Jubilee is fully deserving of its awards on merit of the narrative alone, but then there are the recipes...
For the uninitiated (like myself), there are some surprises in store. Despite two lengthier trips to New Orleans, I learned that "'Barbecue shrimp' is just the name Louisiana Creole cooks assigned to shrimp braised in wine, beer, or a garlic-butter sauce." My Italian grandma would have recognized the recipe as what she called "scampi" with...Worcestershire sauce. There are several wonderful meat recipes I haven't tried yet, but I've dug into some of the veggie ones. The "Braised Summer Squash with Onions" pairs rosemary, bacon drippings, and patience for probably the only summer squash I've ever actually enjoyed. The "Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Curried Dressing" might make you rethink your dislike of raw vegetables (do make this one ahead, however, unless you like very sweet mayonnaise--the sugar needs time to dissolve and draw out the flavor from the veggies). There are "classics" too, including an absolutely terrific "Country-Style Potato Salad" that will be my "go-to" recipe henceforth. Split into sections on appetizers, beverages, breads, soups & salads, sides & vegetables, main dishes, and desserts, it is hard not to keep this book on the kitchen counter everyday.
What is also very striking is how Tipton-Martin steps back (unlike so many other cookbook authors), and amplifies ancestral voices, colleagues' voices, and steps back in just to put in her own twist here and there. The photos by Jerrelle Guy and Eric Harrison are stunning. The food and its history take center stage.
And back to the barbecue shrimp-meets-scampi. As with many of the sentences she writes, Tipton-Martin packs in a lot of punch that reminds those of us who are not part of the African diaspora why we need to read the book:
When I tied all these diasporic practices together, I observed a culinary IQ that is both African and American, the very definition of fusion cooking. You might think this intelligence is not all that different when compared to other world cuisines. And you would be right. But the idea that African Americans shared these qualities with the rest of society has been ignored for far too long (italics mine)
And as much as there are common threads, there is also a "distinct African American canon" (14) that celebrates the creative force of hard truths, ingenious spirit, and culinary artistry that is the tapestry of African American food.
pr727's review
5.0
A beautiful book. Enticing recipes, lovely photographs. Each recipe is introduced with a discussion of its history.
darcerenity's review
4.0
This is a beautiful volume, a feast for the eyes. The tone is conversational and the content is interesting and sometimes educational. The recipes appear to be well tested and explained.
pattydsf's review
4.0
”As I knelt on the cool hardwood floor in my home office, surrounded by books that span nearly two hundred years of black cooking, I realized my ancestors had left us a very special gift: a gift of freedom, culinary freedom.”
“In Jublilee, I have tried to honor the kind of joyous cooking that would have turned yesterday’s enslaved and free cooks into today’s celebrity chefs with glittering reputations grounded in restaurant fare and cookbook publishing.”
Tipton-Martin pulled out all the stops when she assembled this cookbook. It is beautiful, the recipes are interesting, and the history lessons are amazing. I learned so much about American cookery history and the role of African-American cooks in that story. Not only did many of the recipes come with a story, but periodically Tipton-Martin included an actual older recipe. We have become accustomed to a standardized recipe format, but that is fairly new. Some of the older recipes made me wonder how anyone could cook well from such scant instruction.
I am so impressed that Tipton-Martin was able to uncover so much valuable information. She says that she looked everywhere for cookbooks by African-Americans and I believe it. In each section of this book, Tipton-Martin quotes from a variety of cooks and chefs.
If you enjoy cookbooks, I highly recommend this one.
“In Jublilee, I have tried to honor the kind of joyous cooking that would have turned yesterday’s enslaved and free cooks into today’s celebrity chefs with glittering reputations grounded in restaurant fare and cookbook publishing.”
Tipton-Martin pulled out all the stops when she assembled this cookbook. It is beautiful, the recipes are interesting, and the history lessons are amazing. I learned so much about American cookery history and the role of African-American cooks in that story. Not only did many of the recipes come with a story, but periodically Tipton-Martin included an actual older recipe. We have become accustomed to a standardized recipe format, but that is fairly new. Some of the older recipes made me wonder how anyone could cook well from such scant instruction.
I am so impressed that Tipton-Martin was able to uncover so much valuable information. She says that she looked everywhere for cookbooks by African-Americans and I believe it. In each section of this book, Tipton-Martin quotes from a variety of cooks and chefs.
If you enjoy cookbooks, I highly recommend this one.
tmalini's review
5.0
A great read- each recipe has a compelling mini-history attached! I’ve tried about 10 of the recipes, and the flavors are AMAZING! A must-have for anyone who loves cooking, eating, and learning about African American history.