Here Are 9 Good Cookbooks Written By Black Chefs

These are must-haves!

The holidays are fast approaching and it’s time to dust off those old cookbooks hiding in the kitchen drawers. Of course, you’ve perfected your fried chicken and maybe even a good pot roast, but did you remember the exact flour amount for your grandmother’s homemade rolls? What about the proper creamed-to-whole corn ratio for the corn pudding? And what’s the best way to ensure the mac and cheese stays moist while also getting a good crust on top?

Everybody needs a cookbook. Whether it’s to remember those old tried and true family recipes or to get your hands on a few new tricks, they come in handy during the holidays and family get-togethers. A good cookbook takes you back to a place in time and reminds you of memories once lost. A great cookbook actually teaches you along the way. To make sure you have the best cookbooks there are to offer, here are 9 good cookbooks written by Black chefs, courtesy of Food Network and USA Today:

Happy Pub Day, Pinky! “From the Slutty Vegan herself, a collection of ninety-one delicious, guilt-free, plant-based recipes that you will love to indulge in from the comfort of your own home.

When Pinky Cole opened her first Slutty Vegan food truck in 2018, she was inspired by her love of vegan comfort food. Now, after having expanded to restaurants, a bar, and a philanthropic organization, Cole is ready to bring her best recipes straight to you.

With mouth-watering photographs and easy-to-follow instructions, Eat Plants, B*tch celebrates Cole’s belief that it’s fun and accessible to cook and enjoy irresistible vegan comfort food.”

Purchase Eat Plants, B*tch here!

The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty

“A renowned culinary historian offers a fresh perspective on our most divisive cultural issue, race, in this illuminating memoir of Southern cuisine and food culture that traces his ancestry—both black and white—through food, from Africa to America and slavery to freedom.”

The 2018 winner of the James Beard Award for Best Food Writing and Book of the Year, this book allows you to examine Twitty’s familial culinary history by cooking the recipes in the book. It is a journey of immense proportions, granting you a first-row seat to the origins of Southern cuisine, soul food and barbecue and the politics that surrounds it all. 

Purchase your book at www.thecookinggene.com.

Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin

“In this award-winning cookbook, African American culinary scholar Toni Tipton-Martin introduces new historical facts and insight on Black American cuisine. Tipton-Martin combines the insight and skills of enslaved cooks to today’s Black food influencers, in order to document generations of culinary achievements. Dive into recipes like sweet potato biscuits and spoon bread,” reports USA Today.

Purchase Jubilee on Amazon here. 

My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef: A Cookbook by Chef Kwame Onwuachi

“Chef, author, and Bronx native Kwame Onwuachi depicts a nuanced, multicultural interpretation of what defines American food in My America. Rich with 125 flavorful recipes, this book includes both traditional dishes from his heritage (think Nigerian jollof and Jamaican beef patties) and more modern recipes from regions like the American South (think baby back ribs and red velvet cake). In addition to recipes, Onwuachi also blends in stories of his own travels to explicitly connect the undeniable link between cuisine and culture.

If you’re looking to diversify your home cooking game—and celebrate the cultural patchwork of America—this cookbook is a staple.”

Purchase your copy of My America via Amazon. 

Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing by Jerrelle Guy

“Baker and food photographer Jerrelle Guy wears many hats. In addition to shooting the award-winning cookbook Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking, the esteemed baker authored and photographed her own cookbook, Black Girl Baking. Guy offers delightful recipes for both vegan and more traditional baking like Blueberry Drop Biscuits, Unicorn Ice Cream Sandwiches, Baked Buttermilk Beignets and more. Inviting readers into her unique background and relationship with race in the United States, Guy brings readers on a sweet culinary journey, bringing tastes, smells and aromas with her,” Food Network reports. 

Purchase the Black Girl Baking cookbook via Amazon. 

Sweet Home Café Cookbook: A Celebration of African American Cooking by the National Museum of African American History and Culture

“The National Museum of African American History and Culture selected 109 recipes from its very own Sweet Home Café in order to create this cookbook. As the museum gained recognition, so did the cafe, which serves foods long associated with Black culture. Now, fans of the museum can cook their favorite recipes from the comfort of their own homes.

Try recreating the dreamy johnnycakes recipe or the tomato-watermelon salad. Reviewers say this is the perfect cookbook if you want to learn some modern techniques on traditional Black recipes.”

Get your copy of this collector’s item here. 

The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent by Dr. Jessica B. Harris

“Dr. Jessica B. Harris is the leading scholar of African foodways in the United States and has shaped how and why we talk about Black food today. A living testament to the importance of prioritizing Black history and culture, Dr. Harris has traveled around the world to unearth the stories, techniques and recipes that made African food – and subsequently Black food – what it is now. The Africa Cookbook provides more than 200 recipes that span the African continent, and an account of a Black history and culinary past that extends far beyond the enslaved narrative of the Americas.”

Purchase your copy of The Africa Cookbook here. 

Eating Well to Win: Inspired Living Through Inspired Cooking by Richard Ingraham

Richard Ingraham has been NBA star Dwayne Wade’s personal chef for more than a decade, so he knows a thing or two about making healthy, hearty dishes. Ingraham has also created his own chef network called ChefRLI that caters to professional athletes across the country.

Ingraham consistently creates dishes that allow your body to perform while fueling it with all the nutrients you need. His client list continues to grow, which is no surprise considering his repertoire includes the likes of blueberry oatmeal muffins and sweet potato lasagna.

To get your hands on the Eating Well to Win cookbook, click here. 

The Taste of Country Cooking: The 30th Anniversary Edition of a Great Southern Classic Cookbook by Edna Lewis

“Edna Lewis is one of the most celebrated chefs in American history. Her book, The Taste of Country Cooking, was published in 1976 and re-released in 2006 to celebrate its 30th anniversary. A celebration of the American country that formed her palette, her cookbook offers recipes for all four seasons, like Special Butter Cookies for an early spring dinner, Corn Muffins for a midsummer Sunday breakfast, Guinea Fowl in Casserole for Emancipation Day dinner in the fall, and Braised Muscovy Duck in Natural Sauce for the winter. Lewis’ first cookbook, The Edna Lewis Cookbook, was published in 1972 and also provides not-to-be missed recipes…that illuminate the boundless nature of Southern cooking.” 

Grab your copy of The Taste of Country Cooking here. 

Afro Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed by Bryant Terry

“If there was a land of vegetables, Bryant Terry would be the likely ruler. The Oakland activist, chef, and MoAD Chef-in-Residence provides seemingly endless ways to season, cream, grill, and roast vegetables in Afro-Vegan, and his newest release Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes. Leaning on international, and West and East African flavors, Terry provides an important reminder for the plant-based world: Veganism wouldn’t exist without Black folks, and our claim in that realm is both essential, and historic.”

You can get your hands on a copy of Afro Vegan here.

Happy cooking folks!

Here are 9 good cookbooks written by Black Chefs. Photo Courtesy of Clarkson Potter Publishers