When I was younger I refused to get in the kitchen and cook. My grandma was known as The Cook the white people fought over her for their kitchen. She cooked from scratch and one of my favorite meals from her were her pancakes. My mom then comes along and picks up cooking like it’s nothing. Then there is me…someone who refused to learn how to cook because I simply didn’t want to. I remember being in college one day and I was hungry my mom said are you ready to learn? I said yes and picked it up fairly easy to now people say that I have such wasted talent. I can cook but I hate cooking and it’s rather sad. If you don’t know how to cook from scratch there are a lot of cookbooks out there that can help you. Cookbooks that have the heart of our ancestors in there. I want to share the best African Americna cookbooks that I own and that I cook from when I want to try something new.
Kardea Brown – The Way Home: A Celebration of Sea Islands Food and Family with over 100 Recipes
Her recipes are good. She puts a new twist on a few staples but I’m not mad at it. I know she has another cookbook and that wasn’t isn’t as good but this one is a must have in your kitchen.
Rosie Mayes – I Heart Soul Food: 100 Southern Comfort Food Favorites
I bought her cookbook on a whim and it’s so good. I love her cookbook so much becuase it reminds me of my moms cooking. Both of her cookbooks are a must have but if you can only get one get this one.
Toni Tipton Martin – Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking: A Cookbook
At first I didn’t like it but when I took the time to really read it and try my hand at a few recipes, I was like whoa. This book tells a story but it also gives us a glance into the true essense of African Ameircan cooking.
Emily Megget – Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island
Out of all the cookbooks I mentioned, get this one. This is that old school gullah cookbook like my grandma use to cook from. A lot of the stuff in her book you can’t find at regular stores (at least around me) try a farmers market or a butcher.
Katryce – Sear. Whip. Drizzle. Vol 2
Ok here me out on this one. I saw her cookbook pictures from one of my favorite photographers and decided to buy the book because I wanted to be a food photographer (I’m a photographer as my other side hustle). I didn’t buy her book to cook I just wanted to see the photos but I cooked a few things from her first book and had to buy the second one. I bought her book before I followed her on social media. Get her book, the first one is sold out as of this post but buy the second one.
These are some of the cookbooks I own that are so good to cook out and it’s great to learn from if you are tired of eating out. I suggest getting two of the above and cooking from them at least once a week. Let me know what your favorite cookbooks are.
