Ghetto Gastro Black Power kitchen

The team from New York City collective Ghetto Gastro serves up vibrant recipes, interviews, paintings, and photographs in this piquant "culinary manifesto about the nature of Black food." The opening section emulates a food tour of the Bronx and features the chopped stease, a chopped cheese sandwich made with plant-based meat, butter, and cheese. Also on offer are the potent and sweet pre-batched street drinks known as nutcrackers, distinguished "by their short, capped plastic bottles, sold at barbershops, concerts, or summer parades," here made with cognac. The second chapter riffs on Black cuisine's African influences with options like king jaffe jollof, a spicy rice dish with roots in West Africa, while a collection of dishes inspired by the authors' travels draws from various global cuisines with dishes like saltfish takoyaki, a twist on Japanese street food. Next come fare that shouts "Black resistance and rebellion," including chili lime liberation pasta featuring a ramen seasoning packet and other ingredients that are usually available from prison commissaries, and Black power waffles made with black cocoa powder and chocolate syrup. The authors' mothers are interviewed in a chapter on nourishing comfort foods, before a final, playful section on fruit and vegetable treats. Meals served up with ideals make this a dynamic and delicious cultural celebration. (Oct.)

In Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao, and Lester Walker's Bronx-based creative and culinary collective Ghetto Gastro, Black culinary traditions meet music, art, design, and fashion. Over the course of this cookbook's seven chapters, the authors focus on the cuisine and culture of Black communities in the Bronx. They discuss the importance of food from the perspective of culture and equality and challenge assumptions, all with hopes of having honest discussions about food, race, identity, and history. The book's stories and recipes have been drawn from the Bronx's African American communities as well as the larger African diaspora. Alongside the deeply absorbing narratives are 75 mostly vegetarian and vegan recipes. VERDICT A wonderfully written and beautifully produced book. In keeping with Ghetto Gastro's multidisciplinary approach, this volume will offer readers an engaging excursion into food history and culture, with a myriad of appealing recipes. Best for those interested in culinary and cultural histories.--Jacqueline Parascandola