5 comments about The African-American Heritage Cookbook: Traditional Recipes and Fond Remembrances From Alabama's Renowned Tuskegee Institute.

1. I specifically searched for this book on Amazon after reviewing it in the library at the culinary school that I recently graduated from. I thought it would be a very useful cookbook to add to my collection and the heritage part was an added bonus. I had recently read an article on the author of the book in one of the military publications I picked up on Nellis Air Force Base and was thrilled to actually get to purchase the book. Although I'm southern born and bred there are some recipes in the book that I have never heard of in my life and I love having the history there to go with some of the recipes.



2. The African-American Heritage Cookbook not only has wonderful recipes but I truely loved the history lessons. I have tried several of the recipes and the food was great. The Smothered Yardbird recipe reminded me of my grandmother's cooking. I look forward to trying many other recipes.



3. A friend was telling me of a recipe her mama used to make when she was a child and how much she had loved it. No one seemed to know how to make it. Well, I found the recipe in this cookbook and surprized my friend with a great meal. She was so thrilled and I'm thrilled for all the other wonderful recipes in this great book.



4. I checked this book out from my local library because i was in search of a recipe book that would bring me back to my childhood. This book did just that . The recipes were amazing ! My Grandmother is a phenomenal cook and every holiday she would bless us with her delicious food and i wanted to do the same for my family , but i could never find a book that had those deep rooted southern meals that i grew up on , until i discovered this book . I would recommend this book to anyone who loves and enjoys good southern food , fabulous !



5. Not only are the recipes very good - the stories that go with them are priceless and I enjoyed the pictures associated with them as well.
   Very educational. I read cookbooks like novels anyway - so this was a special treat. A friend of my had one and showed me before I bought mine. Usually I read theirs and that's it. I had to own this cookbook to go back to whenever I wanted. Excellent.

1 comments about A Slice of Africa: Exotic West African Cuisines.

1. "This is a very good book. I've bought several copies for my family members"
   Fletcher Paschal,Sr.
   Miami, Florida

5 comments about Occasions to Savor.

1. Although you do not have to be to appreciate this wonderful cookbook, I am a Delta. Sorors, if for no other reason than to own a new and glorious piece of sorority history, you have to add this book to your collection. The book is beautifully done and will make you proud.
   
   The fact that it is also filled with great recipes contributed by sorors across the nation is the gravy on top and the reason that this book makes an excellent addition to any cook's library (Delta or not). 5 Stars



2. I love this book. I purchased it in 2004 at our National Convention in Las Vegas. The recipes are priceless and delicious. You don'thave to be a Delta to enjoy it. But I would like to thank my sorors for this wonderful creation. The recipes are fantastic.
   
   Love
   Soror Kameelah Brown
   Omicron Delta Chapter Spr. 98
   Miami Alumnae Chapter



3. This cookbook looks expensive only until you see it. Be assured that it is well worth every penny!
   
   It is gorgeous, with full-color photographs, and large, clear print. There are stories and acknowledgements from famous African Americans (e.g., Camille Cosby) and Delta members. The recipes are all tried-and-true, and most are prefaced by the contributors' comments about why it is so special.
   Everything I've tried to date has been sensational -- the best of its kind I've ever tasted.
   
   This has the advantages of a top-of-the-line community cookbook, but with gorgeous presentation, well-perfected recipes, etc.
   
   You won't be sorry you bought it or gave it as a gift.
   
   (And you most definitely don't have to be African American to appreciate this ... I'm not. This will appeal to anyone with taste buds.)



4. The books had crinkled corners as if they had been dropped, but I guess they were in the condition as advertised; I'm not quite sure. I bought 3 for gifts, but I think I will just give them away to people I know would like them--not as a wedding gift, as I had intended. I was surprised at the condition, because a couple years ago I ordered 5 of the same books that were in absolutely excellent condition, and that I did distribute as Christmas gifts.



5. I'm very please with my purchase from Amazon.com, I've been looking for Occasions To Savior cookbook for some time now and Amazon.com not only located the book for me but this book retailed for $40.00 and I paid 6.00 plus chance for a brand new cook book.
   
   Ronnie O.
   Very Happy Cook

5 comments about The New Ebony Cookbook.

1. Delicious is the word for the easy-to-follow recipes in the New EBONY Cookbook. I loved Charlotte Lyon's new twist on soul food classics. Cajun Fried Chicken, sauteed collard greens, sweet potato salad, black-eyed pea salad, and walnut sweet potato pie. Recently I got lots of compliments for a brunch I prepared using the recipes for Fresh Tangerine Mimosa, Shrimp-Filled Deviled Eggs, Champagne-Mushroom Chicken, Stir-Fried Asparagus, Virginia Ham Biscuits and Buttermilk Pie with Mixed Berry Compote. The color photos help inspire you to try the recipes. The timely tips at the end are also helpful.



2. As a novice cook, I really do not prepare a lot of meals. When I got this book, all of the recipes looked so appetizing and easy to follow I couldn't wait to get started! The coconut shrimp, cajun fried chicken, skillet greens with balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar pound cake are my favorites! This is a great book I would recommend to anyone who wants to spice up their kitchen!



3. this cookbook is perfect for cooks like me who really don't know how to cook!!! the language is plain, the ingrediants are simple, and the results.....for me... is usually tasty!!!

   the timely tips in the back of the book are especially helpful. they teach me how to make substitutions, when i don't have certain ingrediants the recipes require.

   i also found this to be the perfect cookbook for my 14 year old son to learn the basics of functioning in the kitchen.




4. This book was a huge disappointment. I have Frieda Knight's wonderful _Dinner with a Dish_ (from Ebony), so really looked forward to this one. But it was so coldly written, with no introductions, anecdotes, or descriptions of the recipes. In the aforementioned _Dinner with a Dish_, it tells how a minted pea recipe became very popular after someone mistakenly used mint tea instead of water to cook some peas. I like that sort of intro/description, and missed it here. For example, all recipe collections include some that are quick-and-easy, some that use up ingredients we keep on hand, some that are very cheap, some that are out-of-this-world delicious show-stoppers, some that have sentimental value, etc. -- and it is important to know which are which before wasting your time and effort. (For example, I'm a northerner, and have never seen or tasted collard greens. A recipe describing them as delectable would tempt me to locate and try them -- but, without such a description, I have no way of knowing if the recipe is listed because collard greens are readily available, or because they taste good.) is book doesn't provide any clues about time or effort involved or results expected. I was horribly disappointed, and will be returning it.

   However, I gave it three stars rather than one, since the above criteria may not matter to all people.




5. No thank you, I won't be having seconds. I already own the original Ebony cookbook so I picked this one up with high expectations. What a let down! The New Ebony cookbook is full of bland recipes that I will never try. Considering that the orignal book is a treasury of Americas finest Black cooking there is no excuse for this new version to be so poor. Stick with the original.

5 comments about Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way: Smokin' Joe Butter Beans, Ol' 'Fuskie Fried Crab Rice, Sticky-Bush Blackberry Dumpling, and Other Sea Island Favorites.

1. I grew up in St. Helena Island (Frogmore). Having and using this book brings back those memories



2. One of my favorite episodes of Sara Moulton's cooking show featured the author and included a visit to her childhood home. I was THRILLED that Ms. Robinson washed her green leafy vegetables in warm water. What a shame such wisdom (do Americans even know the term "nightsoil" anymore???) has been disregarded in the wake of carnival barkers who demonstrate their cooking ability by ripping open a bag of greens (prewashed, My Aunt Fanny!) and cooking raw meat straight from their styrofoam and plastic packaging. Ewwwww, you know no amount of cooking heat can clean that up. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
   
   Thank you, Ms. Robinson.



3. I have tried to catch Ms. Robinson's t.v. shows when I was able. Having grown up poor and having to make ends meet by stretching the food, you appreciate any attempt to liven up the meals. Ms. Robinson has done this very well. I enjoy her, and I enjoy the book.



4. I remain fascinated by Gullah and Daufuskie cooking. This book is a welcome addition to my ever-expanding collection. I'm glad I found it.



5. Great history involved with the writing of this book. I live in the Charleston area and I highly respect the Gullah language and ways.

5 comments about Spoonbread & Strawberry Wine: Recipes and Reminiscences of a Family.

1. I purchased this paperback version at Fisk University in August 1978 and it has been with with me since then. I love the recipes in this book and the stories behind them. I have my original paperback copy @$2.75 a copy. I cooked several recipes from this book, although I knew how to cook from my mother. I am sharing this book with my young co-workers in my office as the bible for Southern cooking and sharing a family story. I love the recipe for the potatoe salad and am preparing it for my company's picnic this week.
   
   Thanks for sharing,
   Loren



2. I come from a family who loves to eat and cook, and my brother (a chef and bistro owner) has recommended a wide variety of books to me over the years. This book I found myself at a Half Priced Bookstore! Lucky me. I was not expecting that it would become one of my most valued kitchen friends. The stories are wonderful but the wide range of recipes is really amazing. From ice cream to how to make face cream! My favorite all time is the Refrigerator Rolls using mashed potatoes. They come out moist and buttery and is perfect for cinnamon rolls and special occasions. Now I am picking up a copy for my brother!



3. This book has a very special place in my heart. It was the first cookbook I ever purchased, and it is still a favorite. The wonderful Darden sisters share stories of their unique family as well as recipes that are simply stellar. I think this book is the very best of it's kind!
   I live in Australia now, and my last copy was destroyed in storage. I am hoping Amazon.au has a copy to send me- if not, my family in the states will need to send me one, because I can't be without it :-D.
   Does anyone know what happened to the Darden sisters?



4. I love this book because my mother made a lot of these dishes when I was young . I did not learn to cook from my mother ( who by the way was from Virginia and a great cook ) because she never measured anything . I love the old dishes but did not know how to make them and then along came the sisters . The only thing that kept me from rating it a five star was the print . At my age I wish the print was larger . That may just be a personal thing



5. Wonderful receipes / great insite into family / a real keeper / great pictures inside also

5 comments about Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories with Recipes.

1. I love this cookbook. I have already tried some recipes from it. Almost three weeks passed, however, before I received it. I am very satisfied with it.



2. A wonderful mix of story and recipe.
   As I try these wonderful southern dishes I recall her stories and I can sense the history of the dish.
   the caramel cake is worth 10x the price of the book alone.



3. None comes better. The recipes are honest and measure up to the quality of the author! Props to Sister Angelou !



4. I was so disappointed in this book. Not because it was a horrible book but because it ended. I was reading the memories she had of each recipe and throughly enjoying myself when I realized that the next page that I turned was the index. I didn't want it to be over so soon. I really felt a sense of deep disappointment. I was surprised at my reaction because it was after all only a recipe book. This book pulls you in and takes you on a journey both of her life and her culinary expertise. You will get wrapped up in it as you laugh and imagine the flavors of the dishes. I think that she should write another recipe book. I'm sure that these are not the only recipes she knows. I admire Dr. Angelou both as a poet, writer, woman, and cook.



5. I'm famous for haunting thrifts, looking for cookbooks from days gone by, but I bought this one new in New Orleans. I picked it up, intending only to leaf through it, then put it back. But I opened the book on page 145, saw the recipe for Decca's Chicken Drunkard Style and thought, "That's pretty gosh darned simple." And I immediately knew how it would taste. I have a pretty good memory. I could have made my own variation without any problems, but I bought the book.
   
   And though there are a few things here I'd never make, Liver and Onions and the Tripe recipes, for example, there is plenty in here to enjoy, like the Roasted Turkey on page 117. And as an added bonus you get a lifetime of Maya Angelou's memories, written down as only she can write them. Wonderful recipes and Ms. Angelou's delicious writing. What more could you ask of a cookbook?
   
   Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

5 comments about Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in America.

1. "Cooking With Grease" will be interesting for any political junkie though obviously liberals will enjoy it far more than conservatives. Brazile gives a highly detailed inside look at how Democrats approach elections but a problem is her writing style, which sometimes obscures critical points. As she discusses Eleanor Norton's campaign, she says a tax problem was resolved thusly: "We decided to just write a check, no matter what the amount was..." Now doesn't that sound like the campaign paid the candidate's back taxes? In another case, she is describing the fact that the campaign staff is tense and needs some time for relaxation. She explains that campaigns are "notorious for sexual escapades and relationships." Then they (Brazile and Tony Coelho) plan a party for the campaign workers and "[t]he kids got down all night and so did Tony and I." Doesn't that seem to imply that she and Tony had an affair. Yet another passage left me scratching my head: "I decided to help Craig, the former campaign manager, line up clients to continue helping me out with my new duties." Does this mean she sent business Craig's way in order to increase his revenues so he would be available to help her in her campaign duties? I am sure she would be appalled to have given these impressions but couldn't she write more clearly?
   Also, can someone get this woman a dictionary and explain to her that the word "literally" is not a contraction of "like, totally" as in a situation that was "literally down to the wire."
   Conservatives will have a hard time getting through this book; I know I did. Brazile has a vision of America where people are perpetual victims in need of protection from the evil rich. She believes poverty and homelessness are uniquely Black issues (God help the White politician who says that.) She adores the electoral process until anyone other than Democrats want to play. For example, she boasts of her ability to assemble large crowds on short notice but derides Republicans for "bringing in people to create a mob-like atmosphere."
   Brazile, or someone much like her, will be running Democratic campaigns in the near future. It will pay to understand how they think and what their tactics are like.
   P.S. In true liberal fashion, my library copy has been annotated in pen.



2. I had the chance to meet Ms. Brazile at a college graduation. She was the commencement speaker and I found her surprisingly down to earth and a good natured. The book adds to my opinion of her. As a woman in a man's world, she handled herself in good fashion.
   Pick it up and enjoy!



3. One word, awful. I am both a political junky and an avid cable news watcher. I've enjoyed Ms. Brazile's political savvy and her insight on politics. However, this book was not that. The story was flat most of the book with Ms. Brazile playing "Monday morning quarter back" about what the Dems (Al Gore) should have done with the Florida recount. Half the book she named dropped and made a poor attempts at trying to connect the dots.
   
   Donna is not an exciting story teller and failed (just like her many campaigns) at providing context to the most controversial election of our times. Overall the book was bland as though she has never cooked with grease. I've tasted more flavor and style in other political books then in this dull recount of an unsuspecting campaign strategist. It was not worth my money or time.



4. Excellent book, it kept my interest. Awesome stories of her life as a kid in New Orleans. Now when I see Donna on CNN I can understand a little better where she's coming from.



5. I have not completed the book, but my bookclub rates the book 4 (with 5 being the highest). They considered it funny and informative.

2 comments about The New Soul Food Cookbook: Healthier Recipes for Traditional Favorites.

1. I am enjoying the recipes in this cookbook for healthier eating even though I'm not a diabetic. They are still flavorful and tasty. I think anyone could benefit from these recipes to have better eating habits.



2. This cookbook has quite a few execellent recipes. The recipes are tweeked just enough to make them healthy alternatives without loosing flavor.

1 comments about The Family Style Soul Food Diabetes Cookbook.

1. The book is great. I was looking for a book that could help me learn how to cook soul food and still be healthy. I am diabetic and I am one of the few Black women who did not get to learn how to cook at my Mama's knee or kitchen as it might be. It is hard enough to learn how to cook anything in a way that is still fun to eat when you are diabetic let along soul food. There is such a tradition and the taste has to be just right (if you don't have a ham hock or some fat back somewhere) or it's just ain't happening,you know what I mean. So I am delighted to say that the recipes in this book keep the delicious in the food while raising the standard of healthy cooking. And the taste is make you wanna dance good. I love this book and these doctors. I appreciate them taking the time to put together this cook book for those of us with health issues. I loved it so much I bought the Family Style Soul Food Cookbook for the rest of my family who aren't diabetic but do need to change up on their eating habits.Thank You so much.