Adrian Miller (1)

I could wait to dive into it and it was worth the wait! I have always loved history but thrown in chefs and cooks for the Presidents of the United States and I’m sold! I devoured this book in 2.5 days and I was really sad when I closed the book! The stories of Blacks who would have been instrumental in pulling off some of the biggest food parties within the White House were very interesting and how these chefs/cooks/butlers/staff made a name for themselves within history. Highly recommend this book!! The author does an amazing job of giving each person their moment in the spotlight and pays tribute to their daily lives within the White House.… (plus d'informations)

I picked up this book thinking I would look for interesting recipes. I grew up eating soul food, and even a book that includes only 24 recipes is worth a quick look. It’s always a pleasure to find a recipe to add to my collection.

The book is organized into 15 chapters. “What is Soul Food,” “West Africa: The Culinary Source,” and From Southern to Soul,” provide the introduction. The next 11 cover a type of dish (e.g., fried chicken, catfish, chitlins, and black-eyed peas). The ultimate chapter, “Whither Soul Food?” addresses the social forces that are endangering soul food as a culturally revenant cuisine.

I was quite pleasantly surprised to find the text to be so enjoyable. Despite my original intent, I skimmed through the entire book. Foodies, regardless of their favored cuisine, will find this book worth reading.
 … (plus d'informations)

Immediately after reading Becoming by Michelle Obama, I wanted to listen to this book which I owned in audio.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama planted the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn in the spring of 2009 to initiate a national conversation around the health and wellbeing of our country. In time, that conversation led to Let's Move!, which Mrs. Obama launched in 2010 to help kids and families lead healthier lives. The garden has provided fresh, seasonal produce for the First Family, guests at White House events, and for those in need in the local community. Students from across the country helped Mrs. Obama plant and harvest the garden throughout President Obama’s Administration.

Two African American cooks warned my attention for further information/research : 1) Hercules, one of Washington’s slaves, was the chief cook at Mount Vernon, and was given special privileges, and sold leftovers from the presidential kitchen and earned enough monies to buy expensive clothing and luxuries. Hercules escaped to his freedom. 2) Lizzie McDuffie, who’s weight went well beyond the White House, was a part-time cook for Franklin D. Roosevelt. McDuffie went on the campaign trail for Roosevelt to gin up votes among African American voters, and wrote some of his speeches.

This book is full of history and information past and present. The audio was well done. I wish this book was required reading in schools. The recipes at the very end was a wealth of information being that I own a bed and breakfast and like serving traditional meals to my guests.… (plus d'informations)