A great idea for the Holiday Season, and beyond is a good cookbook. The Chef or cook in your life can take great inspiration from a cookbook. We all know that we can go to Pinterest and Instagram to find a new recipe, but there is nothing like sitting a book in front of you and going through the steps. The best cookbooks tell a story as well. The books we will share today hopefully bring a little bit more to you than just a recipe. So check out these cookbooks from Black Chefs and Influencers. Once you get your cookbooks, make sure you check out our other listings for the home chef like for seasonings and spices and kitchenware. For this list, we will have two links available for you, A Black owned Bookstore like those you can find here, or an Amazon link. We always suggest that you Buy black but you have an option if you’re bundling things or in a rush.
Ghetto Gastro: Black Power Kitchen
If you have heard of Ghetto Gastro, you know that this collective of NY based chefs is always going to be unique and disruptive. Their first cookbook is no different. Ghetto Gastro Presents Black Power Kitchen presents recipes from the author’s cultural heritage and travels to bring something new and unique to the table. Find it at a Black Owned Bookstore like Loyalty Books or via Amazon.
Northern Soul: Southern-Inspired Home Cooking from a Northern Kitchen
Justin Sutherland is an innovative chef from Minnesota. Making a name for himself with his takes on Southern cooking and barbecue, he has also been seen all over television from Top Chef to Iron Chef. In this cookbook you will get the inspiration for his cooking style as well as recipes. You will also learn about his philosophy and not just learn a recipe with no reason behind it. Purchase at Loyalty books or Amazon
Justice of the Pies: Sweet and Savory Pies, Quiches, and Tarts plus Inspirational Stories from Exceptional People: A Baking Book
Justice of the Pies is known in Chicago and across the country for their awesome creations. Now you can bring this Mid-West shop home in new way with this cookbook. In Justice of the Pies: Sweet and Savory Pies, Quiches, and Tarts plus Inspirational Stories from Exceptional People: A Baking Book, Maya Camille-Broussard shares her recipes and stories of heroes outside of the kitchen as well as her social mission. You can get it here at Marcus Books or here at Amazon.
Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora [A Cookbook]
Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora [A Cookbook] by author Bryant Terry is more than just a collection of recipes. This is more like the book version of the Netflix Docuseries “High on the Hog: how african american cuisine transformed America”. With stories, poems, and more, this cook book is one that you display in the kitchen on the counter. If you want to really examine Black Food in America, this cookbook belongs in your collection.Order from The Dock Bookshop or via Amazon
Son of a Southern Chef: Cook with Soul
Lazarus Lynch is a 2 time Food Network Chopped Champion who hosted the first cooking show on Snapchat. His 2019 cook book “Son of a Southern Chef” is a love letter to the food he ate growing up as the son of Guyanese Mother and his Alabama Chef Father who also ran a restaurant in Queens. This book features over 100 recipes with his unique and colorful spin. Get it here at Malik books or Amazon
Rodney Scott's World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day: A Cookbook
Black Cuisine would not be complete without talking about barbecue. James Beard Winner Rodney Scott’s Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day: A Cookbook is one of the best that you will encounter on the subject. He takes care to not only give you the recipes and best ways to get yourself started as a barbecue savant, but to give you some groundwork for the why. This cookbook infuses a story of hard work and dedication with the history of barbecue.Find it at Marcus Books or on Amazon
Brown Sugar Kitchen: New-Style, Down-Home Recipes from Sweet West Oakland
Oakland has always been a center of Blackness and action for the people. It only makes sense that Brown Sugar Kitchen is one of the most well known Black owned restaurants, serving Soul Food, but of course with a panache that only the Bay Area can add. You can bring some of that home to yourself as well with the official cookbook from chef Tanya Holland. Get your copy today or gift it to someone else within your circle.Find this via Loyalty Books or Amazon
Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking
Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking is considered one of the definitive cookbooks on Black Cuisine. Author Toni Tipton-Martin is known for detailing the history of black food in America. This cookbook presents its 100 recipes as worth celebration of the diversity and beauty within Black Southern cooking.Get your copy from The Dock Bookshop or Amazon
Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed
Bryant Terry is one of the most prolific Black Food Writers in America, if his second entry on our list is some indication of that. Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed is a cookbook that is taking classic recipes and putting a modern Vegan spin on them. Bon Appetit magazine even calls this cookbook “One of the best Vegetarian Cookbooks of all Time”. If you’re looking to change your lifestyle, this can help you transition and still enjoy classic recipes as well.Find it here at Marcus Books or on Amazon
Cooking from the Spirit: Easy, Delicious, and Joyful Plant-Based Inspirations
Tabitha Brown is one of the bubbliest personalities in the Food Space today. Her hard work and positive outlook to changing her lifestyle has made her a favorite and propelled her to new heights. This cookbook features her positive affirmations alongside healthy Vegan recipes to help bring some variety to your dinner table. Get it at MalikBooks or at Amazon
Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology
Authors Tamika Hall and Colin Asare-Appiah focused on mixology for their book. Not just content to give you mixed drink recipes, and great photography to compare your own attempts to, the authors made sure to relay the contributions of African Americans to mixology. The featured mixologists have all contributed in different ways, from helping to build brands and their familiarity, to recipe creation. Get yours today at Marcus Books or at Amazon
