Cookbook Club: Roots, Heart, Soul

Love to eat? Love to cook? Join us for a monthly cookbook feast! Each month, the group picks recipes from a single book. Each participant chooses a recipe from the book and prepares it for the group's meeting. At our meeting, we eat the dishes we've all prepared and talk about what inspired us to make them.

In May, we're cooking from Roots, Heart, Soul: The Story, Celebration, and Recipes of Afro Cuisine in America, by Todd Richards.

Across centuries and continents, the influence of West African food and culture draws a delicious family tree whose branches stretch into the Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States from coast to coast--from the deep South to the Wild West and all the roads in between. In this sprawling and evocative cookbook, acclaimed chef Todd Richards traces these shared roots and the journeys that connect them.

Researched and informative, this book takes you beyond the recipes, exploring the history behind these traditional dishes--and the people who created them--and how peoples of the West African diaspora shaped and changed American history as we know it today.

Including vibrant documentary photography, features throughout highlight interviews with chefs and luminaries, additional notes on ingredients and historical context, and expert chef's tips. At the heart of the book are Chef Todd's inspired recipes, including:

Peanut and Mustard Greens Soup with Ginger and Tomato
Haitian Oxtail with Beef Broth and Pikliz,
 and many more.

The Cookbook Club meets in the Community Room at the South Burlington Public Library on the first Tuesday of the month. Copies of the book will be available for browsing recipes at South Burlington Public Library for a month leading up to the meeting. To attend, let us know what you plan to cook by signing up at the Circulation Desk or by emailing sbplprograms@SouthBurlingtonVT.gov.