Alexander Smalls

Four starred reviews From James Beard Award-winning chef Alexander Smalls, New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner, and award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison comes a "vibrant visual narrative" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) of family, traditions, and the little moments shared at the dinner table that make all the difference. There is nothing young Alexander looks forward to more than Sunday Dinner, the special time after church when the whole family gathers dressed in their Sunday best and ready to share in the best meal of the week. For the first time, it's up to Alexander to contribute a dish for the table, something warm and satisfying, with just the right amount of sweetness--something that the whole family will love and, most of all, will make his dad proud. It's time for Alexander to spread that Sunday joy

As featured by NBC’s Today Show, Harper’s Bazaar, Forbes, and Vogue France ‘A cookbook to be dipped into for inspiration for intimate late-night suppers and pull-out-the-stops buffets. It is a book to read, to cook from and to savor that will delight the mind and the tastebuds.’ – Jessica B. Harris, Ph.D., food historian, lecturer, and author of High on the Hog Experience Africa’s vibrant food culture with 120 recipes from the continent’s most exciting culinary voices Meet the culinarians who are setting the new African table. James Beard Award-winning author Alexander Smalls presents a vibrant library of home cooking recipes and texts contributed by 33 chefs, restaurateurs, caterers, cooks, and writers at the heart of Africa’s food movement. Organized geographically into five regions, The Contemporary African Kitchen presents 120 warm and delicious dishes, each beautifully photographed and brought to life through historical notes, personal anecdotes, and serving suggestions. Home cooks will discover a bounty of diverse, delicious dishes ranging from beloved classics to newer creations, all rooted in a shared language of ingredients, spices, and cooking traditions. Learn to make Northern Africa’s famed couscous and grilled meats; Eastern Africa’s aromatic curries; Central Africa’s Peanut Sauce Stew and Cocoyam Dumplings; Southern Africa’s fresh seafood and street food; and Western Africa’s renowned Chicken Yassa. With text contributions from experts including Pierre Thiam, Selassie Atadika, Anto Cocagne, Coco Reinarhz, and Michael Adé Elégbèdé, the essay and recipe contributors to this ground-breaking survey are at the heart of the food movement of Africa, making it an essential addition to every cook and food lover’s library. Inviting, instructive, accessible, and exciting, The Contemporary African Kitchen brings the conversation about Africa’s cuisine into homes around the world. Chefs and countries featured: Zein Abdallah (Uganda); Agatha Achindu (Cameroon); Eric Adjepong (Ghana); Ikenna Akwuebue Bobmanuel (Nigeria); Clara Kapelembe Bwali (Zambia); Akram Cherif (Tunisia); Agness Colley (Togo); Moustafa Elrefaey (Egypt); Arnaud Gwaga (Burundi); Mohamed Kamal (Egypt); Kudakwashe Makoni (Zimbabwe); Dieuveil Malonga (Republic of Congo); O’miel Moundounga (Gabon); Mwaka Mwiimbu (Zambia); Joseph Odoom (Ghana); Forster Oben Oru (Cameroon); Thabo Phake (South Africa); Mostafa Seif (Egypt); Mogau Seshoene (South Africa); Sifo Sinoyolo (South Africa); Mame Sow (Senegal); Sophia Teshome (Ethiopia); Pierre Thiam (Senegal); Roze Traore (Côte d’Ivoire); Matse Uwatse (Nigeria); Alfonso Videira (Angola); Nana Araba Wilmot (Ghana); Rubia Zablon (Kenya).

Iconic chef and world-renowned opera singer Alexander Smalls marries two of his greatest passions - food and music - in Meals, Music, and Muses. More than just a cookbook, Smalls takes readers on a delicious journey through the South to examine the food that has shaped the region. Each chapter is named for a type of music to help readers understand the spirit that animates these recipes. Filled with classic Southern recipes and twists on old favourites, this cookbook includes starters such as Hoppin’ John Cakes with Sweet Pepper Remoulade and Carolina Bourbon Barbecue Shrimp and Okra Skewers, and main dishes like Roast Quail in Bourbon Cream Sauce and Prime Rib Roast with Crawfish Onion Gravy. Complete with anecdotes of Smalls’s childhood in the Low Country and examinations of Southern musical tradition, Meals, Music, and Muses is a heritage cookbook in the tradition of Edna Lewis’s A Taste of Country Cooking.

"The Asian diaspora has crisscrossed the African diaspora, throughout history and, most powerfully, on the plate. I've traveled the world eating and studying, cooking and exploring. The cookbook you are holding in your hands is about digging deep into our American heritage and setting the table with simple ingredients and bold flavours, presented in an entirely new way. Whether you're serving something as simple as our mac and cheese with rosemary and a side of our okra fries for a Meatless Monday supper or if you're feeding a crowd with our Afro-Asian- American gumbo, we know that these are meals that are steeped with the flavors of Harlem, that one-of-a-kind uptown hospitality and grace." - ALEXANDER SMALLS "Don't feel like you have to read this book cover to cover. Feel free to sample and scat through these recipes. We encourage you to improvise, like Charlie Parker once did. Everything in this book tastes good with everything. Every sauce in this book will be equally delicious whether you throw it on chicken or beef, a bowl of rice or a platter of grilled vegetables. We like leftovers in Harlem, so even if there's just a little bit of, say, pork suya in the pot after dinner, don't be afraid to serve it up the next morning along-sidea batch of freshly scrambled eggs. However you choose to use this book, we hope you'll dive in with an open heart and a hungry belly." - J.J. JOHNSON