“America without its Jewish culture, without its Black culture, without its gay culture, isn’t really America anymore. Especially from a culinary standpoint.”
Today’s guest on Food with Mark Bittman is the writer Michael Twitty, who I met a few years ago at a dinner cooked by Omar Tate, our mutual friend. We had a great time together, and I’ve admired Michael ever since — mostly via Twitter, where he posts smart musings that are, shockingly, considering the platform, actually in line with who he is as a real-life person.
So when I found out that Michael was publishing Koshersoul, which is, as he calls it, a food memoir with recipes, having him on to talk about it was an obvious and lovely way to reconnect.
A few things about Michael: His previous book, The Cooking Gene, won a James Beard Award. He’s a Black Jew; he converted to Judaism when he was 25 and has spent a lot of time explaining to people that this is not as strange as they think. He’s got some Irish descent; his Irish ancestors were enslavers, which Michael wrote about in the Guardian. With his efforts to change the food and culinary injustices that have plagued African Americans for hundreds of years, plus his work in helping the public understand how African American food shaped American cuisine, he’s become a real role model for many people. Michael is also a beautiful soul, and a beautiful writer. Kate and I both read some of the passages in Koshersoul more than once.
These are just a few of the things that make Michael interesting, as you’ll see from our conversation. Plus, please enjoy Michael’s Black Eyed Pea Hummus recipe, from Koshersoul, here.
Please listen, subscribe, and review. And we’d love to hear your food-related questions, as we’d like to start doing live Q&A: Email us: food@markbittman.com.
Thank you, as always. — Mark
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