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A review by wanderinglynn
The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.5
<blockquote> It is no sin to go back and fetch what you have forgotten. </blockquote>
Twitty ends his book with the above Twi proverb, which seems fitting.
This was my January book for the 12 Challenge (12 months to read 12 books recommended by 12 friends). I read it first instead of during Black History Month simply because it was the first book of the 12 available from my library.
I'm not sure I knew what to expect when I picked up this book. And I'm not sure this book met whatever expectations I may have had.
This is a complex and dense book. Because this book is a "nonfiction narrative intended to weave together elements of genealogical documentation, genealogy, first-hand accounts from primary sources, the most recent findings of culinary and cultural historians, and personal memoir," it takes time to read and unpack [quote from the Author's Note]. I found myself reading a chapter or section and then would let the book sit for a bit whilst I ruminated on what I read.
In my own words, the Cooking Gene is Twitty's exploration of his identity, both culturally and racially, through the lens of historical cooking and ancestry exploration. He is trying to find his cooking "gene."
In other words, there's a lot here. And I thank Michael Twitty for sharing his journey with us. It's clear that Twitty is passionate and knowledgeable about historic culinary practices.
That being said, I had maybe expected a more traditionally linear story rather than jumping from past to present to past to near present. I found it hard to stay with him, and that's even doing a slow read. The parts about food and cooking are not what I had expected. That didn't make those parts less interesting, but I found myself often with more questions than answers on the cooking bits. There were mentions of places or historical people without a lot of context, and so I found myself googling names, events, places every few paragraphs, which disrupted the flow of the narrative. I also found the extremely detailed account of Twitty's genealogical searches, including about 20 pages just detailing his various DNA reports, bogging down the flow. Yes, some of this was important to the themes and ideas Twitty is expressing, but I think a more succinct summary may have helped the narrative flow.
Despite that, I did find many moments of brilliance, crucial information being relayed about slavery and genealogy, and reminders that race in America needs to be discussed more openly and taught more accurately at school. This book definitely made me think about the dishes I loved growing up in the South and how and why these dishes came to be associated with "southern cooking" and who has taken credit for these southern dishes and who really should be given credit for these dishes.
Despite giving it 3.5 stars, I would recommend it. But be prepared, this is a book that takes time to read and will involve the frequent use the google.
Twitty ends his book with the above Twi proverb, which seems fitting.
This was my January book for the 12 Challenge (12 months to read 12 books recommended by 12 friends). I read it first instead of during Black History Month simply because it was the first book of the 12 available from my library.
I'm not sure I knew what to expect when I picked up this book. And I'm not sure this book met whatever expectations I may have had.
This is a complex and dense book. Because this book is a "nonfiction narrative intended to weave together elements of genealogical documentation, genealogy, first-hand accounts from primary sources, the most recent findings of culinary and cultural historians, and personal memoir," it takes time to read and unpack [quote from the Author's Note]. I found myself reading a chapter or section and then would let the book sit for a bit whilst I ruminated on what I read.
In my own words, the Cooking Gene is Twitty's exploration of his identity, both culturally and racially, through the lens of historical cooking and ancestry exploration. He is trying to find his cooking "gene."
In other words, there's a lot here. And I thank Michael Twitty for sharing his journey with us. It's clear that Twitty is passionate and knowledgeable about historic culinary practices.
That being said, I had maybe expected a more traditionally linear story rather than jumping from past to present to past to near present. I found it hard to stay with him, and that's even doing a slow read. The parts about food and cooking are not what I had expected. That didn't make those parts less interesting, but I found myself often with more questions than answers on the cooking bits. There were mentions of places or historical people without a lot of context, and so I found myself googling names, events, places every few paragraphs, which disrupted the flow of the narrative. I also found the extremely detailed account of Twitty's genealogical searches, including about 20 pages just detailing his various DNA reports, bogging down the flow. Yes, some of this was important to the themes and ideas Twitty is expressing, but I think a more succinct summary may have helped the narrative flow.
Despite that, I did find many moments of brilliance, crucial information being relayed about slavery and genealogy, and reminders that race in America needs to be discussed more openly and taught more accurately at school. This book definitely made me think about the dishes I loved growing up in the South and how and why these dishes came to be associated with "southern cooking" and who has taken credit for these southern dishes and who really should be given credit for these dishes.
Despite giving it 3.5 stars, I would recommend it. But be prepared, this is a book that takes time to read and will involve the frequent use the google.