Eating Normal
  • Home
  • Support Us
  • Recipes
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • Writing
  • Cookbook of the Month
  • Archive

August Cookbook of the Month: Soul

7/29/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture




August is just around the corner, and to welcome it, I have chosen Soul by Todd Richards as our August cookbook of the month. I was first introduced to Todd Richards by a Bon Appetit podcast on July 5th where Adam Rappaport had him in for an interview. They talked extensively about the cookbook and some of the recipes within it, and I knew instantly this would be one to add to my list. This cookbook would be a new experience for me.



​
Todd Richards is a James Beard Award nominated chef from Atlanta, self taught by years and years in restaurants. I can really appreciate this kind of grit, but what sets him apart from the other chefs who’ve provided my monthly cookbooks is that he is an African American Chef, part of a vastly underrepresented demographic in cooking despite the deep impact of African American cooking on the American experience.

I was fascinated by his journey as he told it on the July 5th podcast, and so when his cookbook arrived on my doorstep this week. I was excited to see where his journey would take me. Already, I can see that he balks at the stereotype of soul food that I have in in my head. Yes, there is an entire section devoted to collard greens. But do you know how he tops that bad boy off? Collard Green Ramen. Collard. Green. Ramen.

I have never actually cooked collard greens for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I didn’t know what they looked like. Secondly, I never had a recipe that didn’t sound like a pot of boiled leaves. Todd Richards makes this ingredient welcoming to me, and I will be tackling it for sure.

On deck for cooking this month:
  • Ginger and Collard Green fried Rice
  • Salmon Croquettes with grits croutons and chive aioli page 126
  • Smoked oysters on toast, page 142
  • Hoecakes page 153
  • Shrimp hot chicken-style 211

If these little peeks aren’t enough to convince you to cook along with me, may I just say that Amazon voted this cookbook as the best of 2018 so far? Even in just a cursory look through at Todd Richards’ recipes has me very excited to begin cooking his unique southern dishes. I very much look forward to shattering both expectations and stereotypes I’ve developed over the years regarding both southern and African American cooking through this cookbook.

​

1 Comment
Susan
7/29/2018 05:45:39 pm

I look forward to your reports as you try these recipes!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    The Mission

    An idea born in Normal, Illinois, Eating Normal hopes to chronicle the eating Experiences of a Red bird.

    Pledge monthly to our patreon!

    Or, you know, support the mission with caffeine! Buy me a coffee through Ko-Fi. 

    Archives

    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    April 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016

    Categories

    All
    Baltimore
    Bread
    Burlington
    CBOM
    CBOM 2018
    CBOM 2019
    CBOM 2020
    Cbomapril
    CBOM:June
    CBOM:May
    CBOM:September
    COOK90 2020
    Cookbooks
    COVID19
    Cruise
    DC
    DE
    Delaware
    Farmer's Market 2018
    Farmer's Market 2019
    Food Media Series
    Food Waste
    Guest Post
    Holidays
    Ia
    IL
    MD
    Misc
    NaNoWriMo
    Ohio
    PA
    Recipe-lab
    Recipes
    Retro
    Technique-tuesday
    Updates
    WI

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Support Us
  • Recipes
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • Writing
  • Cookbook of the Month
  • Archive