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Chef Leticia Schwartz and Feijoada—A Must See
I met Leticia at the Roger Smith Cookbook Conference, we are kindred spirits and we will be doing some cross-blogging! Please check her out–she was on the Today Show yesterday
http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/46480930#46480930
Note the familiar aspects of Brazilian and Southern cuisine–rice, beans, rice and beans, the pigs feet
, collard greens, hot peppers, all of it…This is Africa in the America’s at its best!
Leticia! Fantastic job! Looks delicious
Kosher/Soul Was a Success!
Originally 30 people were signed up and that was great.
Just over 100 people showed up and participated, 70 of which were die hard beginning to end 2.5 hours worth of audience members..
On the menu: Kosher/Soul Rolls (recipe to come–with pastrami and collard greens inside) with a ginger and scallion based dipping sauce, Southern style hamantaschen–with benne brittle (sesame candy), peach preserves and blackberry preserves, and black eyed pea hummus spiced with heirloom peppers and special soul-style seasonings. Culinary historian and food writer Jane Ziegelman, author of 97 Orchard of the Tenement Museum in New York was in attendance with her family! What prestigious company I had! Special thanks to Karen Falk–curator of the fantastic exhibit Chosen Food, Ilene Dackmann-Alon, and Rachel Cylus who inherited the massive task and pulled it off beautifully. Thank you Jewish Museum of Maryland!
I cannot emphasize this enough: PLEASE support The Cooking Gene. http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Cooking-Gene-Project-The-Southern-Discomfort-Tour If you can give up Starbucks for just 2-3 days you’ve done a lot to support our project. We have 70-odd days and if we do not raise the money, we are giving it back and not doing this project which has the potential to not only help us, and you, but innumerable people throughout the South. We provide a lot of free content and recipes and tips and hints to our readers throughout the blogs and other social media and its time to give back. It is African American Heritage Month/Black History Month and it comes but once a year. We can’t do this without you–and if you can give more than 10 bucks-that’s greatly greatly appreciated. Please see what we’re doing and donate TODAY! We need you–if you’re reading this blog and getting a lot out of it–give a little back! http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Cooking-Gene-Project-The-Southern-Discomfort-Tour. I don’t want to give up on this project before it even gets off the ground, so please help us make it happen!
Michael
Posted in African American Food History, Diaspora Food Culture, Events and Appearances, Food People and Food Places, Food Philosophy at Afroculinaria, Jewish Stuff
Tagged black eyed pea hummus, collard greens, hamantaschen, Jane Ziegelman, Jewish Museum of Maryland, Koshersoul, pastrami, sesame
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Special Thanks to Carnegie-Mellon
“More than Slave Food” was a towering success….
We had about 120 people come through, sit down, listen to an hour and a half lecture and also enjoy some piping hot cheb-u-niebe–black eyed peas and rice, okra soup and plasas greens! About 80% stayed to the end which was great! (Two classes showed up–one from Pitt and another from CMU, with a good handful of students from Chatham!) Lots of people from the community and the faculty came as well—and overall–despite the fact that making all that food and being nervous as hell, I made it through. This was MY FIRST EVENT CONNECTED TO THE COOKING GENE OF 2012! (www.thecookinggene.com)
Special thanks to:
Carnegie-Mellon University, Dr. Edda Fields-Black, Sam Black, Tim Haggerty, M. Shernell Smith, Anna Hauck, Heather Pertz, Chef Sean Minnehan, Chef Jeremy Niederhiser, Chef Jason and Chef Victor and the entire staff of the CulinArts Kitchen who really made me feel at home and took great care of me as a cook and a presenter! And a special thank you to the good people of Pittsburgh-I look forward to coming back in May and July.
Special thanks to Andy Moore for showing up and shaking my hand–he is the first person who donated to The Cooking Gene who I’ve been able to personally thank on behalf of my ancestors.
PLEASE don’t forget about us–we really need your help–we barely have 600$ of our 8,000 dollar goal. We really need you if you’re reading this–and donations start at 10 bucks–if you can give up Starbucks for 3 days–you can help us do this really important project! Please donate to your ability today! http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Cooking-Gene-Project-The-Southern-Discomfort-Tour
So thanks for the Racist Comment…
Dear “NiggerBeater6969″—
This is what you said to me:
“i owned 3 niggers but i had to give them away cuz the apratment i moved in didnt allow them as pets”
I have no earthly idea why you decided to comment on my blog. It’s a food blog. It’s a food blog that comes out of my culture, but is meant for everyone. I started it because I didn’t see people like me doing a lot of this kind of work and I wanted to share my love of my history and civilization with the world. I didn’t put it out there so you could violate or disrespect me.
This blog is really important to a lot of people. They are not just Black, they are every color and are reading this on six continents. Maybe you hate that I’m Black, or Jewish, or don’t think I’m human. I’ve got white blood too–so does that mean you hate only 2/3 of me? My godson is white and Jewish, do you hate the fact that he’s Jewish or love him because he’s white with blond hair and blue eyes? Now I don’t know you–and you don’t know me–good enough reason for you not to have sent that message to me…But here’s the deal…
If you want me to hate you, I won’t. If you want me to overreact–I won’t…I’m just telling you through this post that you will not hide behind the Internet and troll looking for cheap thrills. My great-grandfather told his children, “When the Klan comes marching by, stay on the porch…because your Father’s house is where you don’t run from nobody.” His blood is in my veins. His blood is telling me to tell you—this is my house and here is where I run from no one.
A few weeks ago I taught my 8-9th grade students in Hebrew School all about individuals like you and why they should refrain from talking like you and saying things like, “nigger,” or “that’s so gay,” or “that’s retarded.” In that synagogue we are white, brown, tan, dark brown—representing people from across the world who are also Jewish. I’m really really proud of my kids right now because they get it and you don’t–and what’s great is that they can spell better than you too. Like it or not, the rest of us are moving on and leaving you behind.
You know the funny part? More than likely you ate or drank something that comes from Africa or originated in Africa. Since that’s the case you should learn some history while you’re here. Who knows, you could learn a lot from a “pet.”
Sincerely,
Mr. Michael W. Twitty–An educated Black man who loves G-d more than he could ever hate you–which makes me my Ancestors best fantasy and your worst nightmare. like evil doesn’t like light, ignorance and hate don’t like love.
From Joseph McGill: As a Civil War reenactor for the last 20 years and sleeping in slave dwellings for the last two years, I have gotten similar comments. Your passion and mine are similar, we have found creative ways to honor our ancestors. For our ways of making our history relevant, we often put ourselves in harms way. Comments like that will not be the last, in fact, I’ve come to expect them, they let me know that we are not there yet and there is more work to be done. Stay strong my brother and remember it’s not about us, it’s about our ancestors.
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Coming Up: Updates
So I am fast and furiously spending the night writing and re-writing….
Don’t Forget WE REALLY REALLY need you: http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Cooking-Gene-Project-The-Southern-Discomfort-Tour
This is whats coming up this week!
- A Tribute to Alex Haley on www.thecookinggene.com and Afroculinaria
- The African American Cookbook and Immigrant Cookbook sessions from the Roger Smith Cookbook Conference–Notes from the Field
- “You Can Come By My House at Twelve: Black Food, Love and Sex–The TV MA Valentine’s Day Issue.”
- The Caramel/Sea Salt Glazed Sour Cream and Cream Cheese Pound and a Half Cake Recipe
- EVENTS AND APPEARANCES:
See you at CARNEGIE-MELLON this February 16, 2012:
AND !!
February 18, 2012 ROOTING DC! Register NOW!!!
I’m presenting in the afternoon!

AND!
February 19, 2012
Kosher Soul
February 19, 1-3pm
Jewish Museum of Maryland, Baltimore
-
15 Lloyd St. , Baltimore , MD , 21202
- Phone:
410-732-6400 (Phone)
Join culinary historian and Judaics teacher Michael W. Twitty for a cooking demonstration and discussion of how he blends his African American roots in the Deep South with his adopted Jewish culture and faith. Kosher/Soul is about how cooking can reflect personal identity while honoring family, faith, and our common future in food. Join Mr. Twitty as we nosh on soul food that “answers to a Higher Authority.”
Don’t forget–WE NEED YOU: http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Cooking-Gene-Project-The-Southern-Discomfort-Tour
Posted in African American Food History, African Food Culture, Diaspora Food Culture, Events and Appearances, Food People and Food Places, Jewish Stuff, Scholars, Elders and Wise Folk, The Cooking Gene
Tagged Alex Haley, Black Valentine's Day Stuff, carnegie mellon, Jewish Museum of Maryland, More Than Slave Food, Roger Smith Cookbook Conference, Rooting DC, The Cooking Gene
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