An African American Cookbook : Living the Experience
- Book Review,
by Phoebe Bailey
Book Description
A cookbook rich in history and rich in easy to prepare recipes.
About the Author
Phoebe M. Bailey was born to John Cornelius and Margaret Marie Bailey, the youngest of 15 children, in Huntington, Long Island, New York. Phoebe currently resides in ChurchTowne of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with her son Piindamon. Phoebe has been encouraged by her father’s strength and courage as a black man, and inspired by her mother’s faith in God and undeniable intelligence as a black woman, to embrace herself and her African heritage. Phoebe began her career with Bethel Harambee Historical Services as a call from God. She left the corporate world to work closely with her brother, the Reverend Edward M. Bailey, and the congregation of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, to preserve and tell the stories of those Africans who have been discounted and left out of traditional American history and to restore and rebuild a community of promise. Phoebe is the executive director of "Living The Experience," a spiritual Underground Railroad reenactment. She is also one of the reenactors. Her ministry is to sing the song of an awesome God, who continues to deliver His people.
Excerpted from An African American Cookbook: Traditional and Other Favorite Recipes by Phoebe Bailey, Christina G. Johnson, Kesha M. Morant. Copyright © 2002. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction Welcome reader! Here are mouth-watering recipes that are easy to prepare and that will make every meal a delight. And with the recipes comes a look into our family and cultural traditions and some lessons we’ve learned. You will find quotes from some famous and some not-so famous people. We heard about many of them for the first time while sitting at the dinner table. Some of our songs are here. We heard them while preparing meals—for they’re more than church songs. They were born out of the enslaved Africans’ battle for freedom. This book is about more than just food. We believe that, as important as food is to our being, it is what happens around a meal that actually sustains us. It is in preparing a meal that we discover "If you do not have what you want, use what you have." And when we work within that attitude, we find that God sufficiently provides for all our needs. It is at mealtimes that we learn family traditions, manners, how to share, how to wait our turns, how to listen to others, and many other important life lessons. We use this book ourselves at home. And we share it within our congregation, which is a part of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. We are known as AME’s. I have discovered that AME also stands for "always eating and meeting." I can attest to the fact that this is true. So if you are in the neighborhood of ChurchTowne of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, please stop in and stay awhile. For at Bethel, it is always mealtime. A special thanks to God for His many blessings, and to Phoebe, Christina, and Kesha who helped to make this cookbook a reality. Thanks to the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church family for their recipes, stories, prayers, support, and the down-home meals that inspired this book. Thanks to all the wonderful African American cooks who contributed their traditional and favorite recipes to create a cornucopia of dishes. Thanks to the Goods who patiently worked with us to bring this book to press, and to all and anyone else who helped us. Thank you to whose "who had so little but did so much with the little they had." These are those who toiled in the heat of the day and complained not about their lot, who bore their crosses and marched on in Jesus’ name. These are those who when they looked to the future they saw us. These are our heroes, our elders, our parents, our support. We bless your spirits and He who gave you the strength to provide us hope. — Reverend Edward M. Bailey Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, ChurchTowne of Lancaster, Pennsylvania Gumbo Feast
Mary Alice Bailey
Makes 10 servings 11/2 lbs. chicken legs and thighs
salt to taste
pepper to taste
11/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. smoked pork sausage, kielbasa, or turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 qts. chicken stock
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 bunch green onion tops, chopped
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley 1. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Brown quickly in oil. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. 2. Brown sausage in drippings. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside. 3. Add onions and garlic and stir into drippings. Cook, stirring constantly for about 4 minutes. 4. Add stock, seasonings, chicken, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Cook for 40 minutes, skimming the broth as needed. 5. Stir in chopped green pepper and celery ribs. Continue simmering another 20 minutes. 6. Make a smooth paste by mixing together cornstarch and cold water. Remove 1/2 cup stock from cooking pot and stir into paste. When smooth, stir into gumbo in stockpot. Continue stirring until broth thickens. Stir in green onion tops and parsley. Heat for 5 minutes. 7. Serve over rice. Sweet Potato Pie
Makes 6-8 servings 4-6 medium-sized sweet potatoes
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter, softened
11/2 cups sugar
4-6 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup milk
ground nutmeg to taste
9" unbaked pie crust 1. Boil potatoes until soft. Peel, then mash to smooth consistency. 2. Add butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Mix well. 3. Add milk and nutmeg. Mix well. 4. Pour into pie shell. 5. Bake at 350° for 13/4-2 hours, until lightly browned and set. Cool before slicing. © Good Books, Intercourse, PA 17534
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