Black Smoke

Shop Notes:

At the time of posting this, I haven't been able to complete a personal review...not because I don't want to, but because I love Adrian Miller's erudite and entertaining writing so much that I feel like this is one I need to really spend some time with.  His previous book on Black American Foodways, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, was phenomenal and I just know this one will be too.

From the Publisher:

Across America, the pure love and popularity of barbecue cookery have gone through the roof. Prepared in one regional style or another, in the South and beyond, barbecue is one of the nation's most distinctive culinary arts. And people aren't just eating it; they're also reading books and articles and watching TV shows about it. But why is it, asks Adrian Miller admitted 'cuehead and longtime certified barbecue judgethat in today's barbecue culture African Americans don't get much love?

In Black Smoke, Miller chronicles how Black barbecuers, pitmasters, and restauranteurs helped develop this cornerstone of American foodways and how they are coming into their own today. It's a smoke-filled story of Black perseverance, culinary innovation, and entrepreneurship. Though often pushed to the margins, African Americans have enriched a barbecue culture that has come to be embraced by all. Miller celebrates and restores the faces and stories of the men and women who have influenced this American cuisine. This beautifully illustrated chronicle also features 22 barbecue recipes collected just for this book.