She’ll happily accept the title of activist
If you don’t yet know who Lelani Lewis — today’s guest on Food with Mark Bittman — is, get ready for us to wax poetic about her a lot moving forward. Lewis is a talented chef, food stylist, and culinary activist, and her first book, the wonderful Code Noir: Afro-Caribbean Stories and Recipes, is just out now. The book follows in the footsteps of Lelani’s popular dinner series; both are named after a set of French regulations put forth by Louis XIV in 1685 that was in effect for more than 150 years and that outlined how enslaved people in French colonies should be treated, with regards to just about everything you can possibly imagine.
Why would Lewis name her book after such a decree? You’ll find out, and you’ll also hear about a picturesque childhood with an Irish mom and a Grenadian dad and all of the culinary delights that brought — and the inspiration that it still brings her today in just about everything she does — and a lot more. This is a full-bodied conversation, and Kate and I left it feeling like we’d made a new friend. (Those are the best conversations!)
Just one more thing: If you like this episode, I’d love it if you’d check out my interview with Michele Norris from January 17th – we talked a lot about food bringing people together, and food and love, in both that episode and in today’s, and I think if you listen to both episodes together, you might end up feeling pretty good.
We’re sharing Lewis’s Plantain and Pumpkin Curry, here.
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