A Juneteenth celebration would not be complete without food that honors our culinary legacy. While there are Juneteenth food traditions that highlight some specific favorites, including barbecue, soul food, watermelon, and red drinks, in cookbooks like Watermelon & Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations, our cultural backgrounds and culinary history can often be more varied. Cookbooks can serve as a historical touchstone and a source of inspiration.
But we can agree that breaking bread together is often the centerpiece of many of our celebrations—whether the gatherings are simple or more elaborate. So, in honor of our diverse regional and cultural culinary histories and tastes, we wanted to provide a list of five cookbooks that will inspire you with backstories and recipes to help you celebrate Juneteenth and every day, and to acknowledge our deep connection to food and ingredients.
The Blueprint
The Taste of Country Cooking: 50th Anniversary: A Cookbook by Edna Lewis
Edna Lewis is known as the Grand Dame of Southern cooking. She is also a pioneer in using seasonal ingredients before they became trendy. This book was originally released in 1976, yet her recipes and influence have endured. If you are looking for hearty fare, try her Midsummer Sunday Breakfast or the Sunday Revival Dinner for a special celebratory meal.
The Gullah Geechee Cooking Guide
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island by Emily Megett (Abrams)
If your people hail from South Carolina, particularly the Gullah Geechee lineage, this book pays homage to your roots. This collection, by the late community leader and chef, who passed away in 2023, was known as the Matriarch of Edisto Island. This book tells her story and that of her people while amassing a collection of mouth-watering recipes ranging from Hoppin’ John to Deviled Crab and Biscuits from Scratch.
The Cajun and Creole Contribution
Cooking From Scratch: A Careful Selection of Useful Recipes by Toya Boudy(Countryman Press)
If you would like a cookbook that mixes Cajun and Creole roots with a dash of diasporic flair, pick this up. Chef Toya Boudy’s Better Than Ya Daddy’s Ribs could answer your desire for barbecue, while the Red Thai Curry Soup might be the answer if you want to pay homage to the holiday with a touch of added spice. The book contains not only 70 recipes but also 20 home remedies to try.
For Your Bookshelf
American Soul: The Black History of Food in the United States – Including 40 Recipes By Anela Malik and Renae Wilson (National Geographic Society).
If you are serious about Black food, this book is one for your shelves. Authors Anela Malik and Renae Wilson have developed a classic. It is part history and part homage to our cultural food contributions. Their book contains recipes that we will keep coming back to, like their Brine-Fried Chicken and Collard Greens or Jambalaya.
The Everyday Resource
Make Do with What You Have: 100 Delicious New Recipes from Favorite Old-School Meals By Kardea Brown (Amistad)
Kardea Brown is a Food Network favorite. She understands that simple recipes can be standouts. This cookbook is an everyday go-to resource. But it also contains recipes we are bound to use for celebrations. From her Carolina Baked BBQ Chicken to her Red Beans and Rice to her Sea Island Mussels, Brown’s collection is a keeper.
