Food does more than nourish our bodies. It brings people together. Many of us have lasting memories of meals shared with our families. Maybe you’re known as the home chef who puts her foot in it, or you’re looking to expand your culinary repertoire. These cookbooks provide a huge range of recipes, from African dishes to soul food, and grilled favorites to plant-based meals.
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1. An African American Cookbook: Exploring Black History and Culture Through Traditional Foods by Phoebe Bailey
Although soul food is synonymous with the South, Black people all over the U.S. are familiar with these comforting dishes, partly due to the Great Migration. Many of these foods, such as black-eyed peas and okra, hail from the African continent. In An African American Cookbook, Phoebe Bailey provides historical anecdotes connecting the dishes to the reasons behind their creation. You'll find 400(!) recipes to choose from to create a complete meal. This is more than a cookbook — it’s a labor of love that honors those who came before, even as we continue the tradition of soul food cooking today.
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.2. In Bibi’s Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers From the Eight African Countries That Touch the Indian Ocean by Hawa Hassan with Julia Turshen
The term “bibi” means grandmother in Swahili, and this unique cookbook contains recipes from matriarchs from eight African countries. Meet the real women behind the dishes, such as Ma Shara and her distinctive recipe for Ajemi Bread with Carrots and Green Pepper. Or New York-based Ma Vicky and her mouthwatering take on Matoke (Stewed Plantains With Beans and Beef). In Bibi's Kitchen is from Hawa Hassan, chef and CEO of Basbaas Somali Foods. Breathtaking images and the bibis' stories intertwine to show that meals are more than food on a plate. They're family, sharing and life.
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3. Living Lively: 80 Plant-Based Recipes to Activate Your Power and Feed Your Potential by Haile Thomas
In this cookbook, nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, young activist and motivational speaker Haile Thomas educates readers on the power of plants. Her interest in healthy eating began at the age of eight, when her father was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Thomas presents her “7 points of power” in 80 wholesome and delicious recipes. Straight Fire Mac N' Cheese and AB & J Swirl Brownies are just two dishes that prove good-for-you foods don’t have to be boring or bland.
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