Description

A must-have anthology of the leading Black women and femmes shaping today’s food and hospitality landscape—from farm to table and beyond—chronicling their passions and motivations, lessons learned and hard-won wisdom, personal recipes, and more.

Chef and writer Klancy Miller found her own way by trial and error—as a pastry chef, recipe developer, author, and founder of For the Culture magazine—but what if she had known then what she knows now? What if she had known the extraordinary women profiled within these pages—entrepreneurs, chefs, food stylists, mixologists, historians, influencers, hoteliers, and more—and learned from their stories?

Like Leah Penniman, a farmer using Afro-Indigenous methods to restore the land and feed her community; Ashtin Berry, an activist, sommelier, and mixologist creating radical change in the hospitality industry and beyond; or Sophia Roe, a TV host and producer showcasing the inside stories behind today’s food systems. Toni Tipton-Martin, Mashama Bailey, Carla Hall, Nicole Taylor, Dr. Jessica B. Harris . . . In this gorgeous volume these luminaries and more share the vision that drives them, the mistakes they made along the way, advice for the next generation, and treasured recipes—all accompanied by stunning original illustrated portraits and vibrant food photography.

In addition, Miller shines a light on the matriarchs who paved the way for today’s tastemakers—Edna Lewis, B. Smith, Leah Chase, Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, and Lena Richard.

These collective profiles are a one-of-a-kind oral history of a movement, captured in real time, and indispensable for anyone passionate about food.

About the Author

Klancy Miller is the founder of For the Culture: A Magazine Celebrating Black Women and Femmes in Food and Wine and the author of Cooking Solo. Klancy earned a diplôme de pâtisserie from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, apprenticed in the pastry kitchen at the Michelin-starred restaurant Taillevent, and then joined Le Cordon Bleu’s recipe development team. Now based in Brooklyn, she continues to write about food and has contributed to the New York Times, the Washington Post, Food and Wine, Vogue, Bon Appétit Cherry Bombe, and Food52. She has appeared on the Today show and in the Wall Street Journal, The Cut, the New York Times Food section, as well as on Food Network’s Recipe for Success and the Cooking Channel’s Unique Sweets.

Praise For…

"To read For the Culture is to feel as if you’re at the affair of the season, one where each guest is as riveting as the next. Anyone interested in a career in food or in the experiences of African American culinary professionals must read this inspiring and informative book." — Dawn Davis, editor in chief of Bon Appétit and Epicurious

“With For the Culture, Klancy has outdone herself in creating a collection of delicious and deeply personal recipes and records that will be cherished for years to come. Miller has a unique eye that not only beholds the glory of Black womanhood but takes very seriously the contributions of Black women in both domestic and public space.” — Kimberly Drew, author of What I Know About Art and coeditor of Black Futures

“What an amazing book that’s so inspiring, important, and needed. Klancy gives a space for these incredible chefs, goddesses, and queens to shine and be recognized. For the Culture is not just a story of Black women in the culinary space, it’s the story of diaspora and American cooking.” — Marcus Samuelsson, chef and cofounder of Red Rooster and Hav & Mar

“A refreshingly holistic approach to the world of food, For the Culture is so much more than a cookbook. Radically vulnerable interviews, stories long overdue to be told, and of course, deliciously clever recipes from women who will inspire you while making you so very hungry.” — Alison Roman, author of Nothing Fancy, Dining In, and Sweet Enough

“For the Culture is a kaleidoscope of meaningful reflections and advice from a multigenerational group of Black women and femmes. Full of what she refers to as ‘sisterly insights,’ Klancy Miller has brought together such a beautiful variety of perspectives and experiences that we all benefit from seeing.” — Julia Turshen, New York Times bestselling cookbook author

“For the Culture is a time machine full of lessons from the past, present, and future. Each individual recognized has brought or continues to bring us into close proximity with liberation through care. In every meal prepared, seed sown, and dinner table filled, care and intention lives.” — DeVonn Francis, chef and founding director of Yardy World