Honoring Black History Month
Notes on flavor, discovery, and wellness from Makai
In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to share a few recommendations for exploring, celebrating, and supporting the culture that created the chef you know today.
On flavor
As I develop recipes for Laroot World, there is no shortage of representation for African and African American cultures; dishes like our Kingston (jerk chicken and coconut rice), Mafe (sunflower butter and tomato vegetable stew, black eyed peas, and roasted okra), and our smoked turkey broth, all represent the flavors I hold near and dear to my heart.
Other chefs and restaurants I recommend:
Discovery
As a chef, discovery is often rooted in food for me, so here are a couple of cookbooks I think do a great job of storytelling through food:
Cookbooks
One of my favorite books about the experience of black folks in America is told in:
The story of migration and how communities and the American experience has been shaped by the movement of people from the southern US cities to Northern and Western cities from 1915 - 1970.
Wellness
The tradition of using plants and herbs for their healing properties is one of the most visible impacts that my upbringing has had on my work as a creator – This is available to try in our shop filled with tisanes that I created to honor that tradition while including my studies of global cultures.
This was my first and is still my favorite.
Check out this recipe inspired by mornings with my grandmother that I have most days to boost my immune system:
1 tsp Fresh Turmeric, cut into large pieces
1 tsp Fresh Ginger, cut into large pieces
4 leaves Fresh Mint, including the stem
2 tbsp Meyer Lemon Juice/ 1 Lemon Wedge
2 pc Lavender Flower
Bring a small pot or kettle of water to a boil and pour over the ingredients, allow to steep for 5 minutes until the turmeric begins to color the water and enjoy.
Peace, Love + Soul
Chef M.
Appendix
Restaurants:
Ramen by Ra, 348 Bowery, New York, NY 10012
Radio Kwara, 291 Greene Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Dept. of Culture, 327 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216
Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza: Inside David Geffen Hall, New York, NY 10023
Books:
Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking: A Cookbook
The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South