My issue of Bon Appétit Magazine was a little late in the month of June. I kept waiting and waiting for it to appear in my mailbox as usual. I was so excited when it finally did, I read the entire issue in one sitting and quickly picked out the recipes I wanted to make for my older brother and his lovely new wife when they came over for dinner on the last night of June. The very next day, casually scrolling through Instagram, I learned that the editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit had stepped down after receiving extreme backlash and criticism because of a photograph of him that was discovered online. In the photo, he appeared dressed in a “costume” that was racist and offensive. Immediately after, chefs, developers, contributors and many other employees of Bon Appétit and Condé Nast began to speak out, sharing that the photograph was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the racism, hostility, injustice and inequity that went on at Bon Appétit and Condé Nast as a whole. All of this was, of course in the wake of recent, and widespread instances of violence and racism all over the county. I say “recent” but I suppose that’s not completely accurate. I have been saddened, enraged, worried and sickened as I learn more and more about the deeply embedded and complex racism that I know has always plagued The United States. As I observed protests and movements against racism, violence and inequality taking shape, I wondered what I could, and should be doing to address how I, personally, may have ever contributed to such injustice. As I was reading, donating, talking and learning, I was provided an opportunity, by Bon Appétit Magazine to step out of my very white world and examine what I don’t know or understand about the experiences of those who suffer deeply as a result of the ingrained racism of the U.S.

I decided that I could not cook from Bon Appétit for the month of June. I could not, in good conscious support a publication and company that was perpetuating racism, inequality and injustice. Still wanting to host my brother and sister-in law for a special meal, I stepped into my kitchen and examined my cookbook collection instead. I noticed instantly, and for the first time, that I did not own a single cookbook by any chef or author who was not white. And so, along with the other research and learning I was doing, I began to research black chefs, cooks, authors, bloggers and writers. I wanted to learn about and support BIPOC professionals within the food industry knowing that many are rarely afforded equal opportunities for success within the food world. One title I came across the most was “Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking: A Cookbook” by author and food journalist Toni Tipton-Martin. After reading some reviews, looking at some of the recipes and exploring Toni Tiption-Martin’s webpage, I ordered the book and waited anxiously for it to arrive. “Jubilee” is a wonderful cookbook, and the recipes are delicious and exciting, however the book also contains sections of text that teach the reader about the development, history and roots of each recipe. It celebrates the complex and diverse roots of African American cuisine across time and geography. It provides vivid and engaging descriptions and stories of each dish. It is the kind of “history book” I wish I could have read in high school (I loved cooking and food, even then). It was a joy to cook from. And so on the last night of June, my brother and his wife came over to my house for my “Menu of the Month” dinner. Many things were the same. I spent the whole day playing music and pacing in my kitchen. I stirred and baked and steamed my tablecloth and created a time line of dishes going in and out of the oven. I bought lots of wine and my whole house smelled amazing. However, this time I was honored to be cooking from such a special book. I am glad to have (just barley) scratched the surface of learning and and awareness and allyship and recognition of my own biases in regards to race.

I have already to begun to worry about school in the fall. I know that my role as a teacher is likely the one that will allow me to have the greatest impact as I aim to educate my students about injustice, diversity, compassion and humanity. It is a daunting task, and I have begun learning as much as I can about how best to approach these important topics in a high school special education classroom as well. So while I have a while to prepare for addressing these important topics at school, I am glad to have begun to think about racism, inequality and, my own personal biases as they apply to another important part of my life; cooking for my family and friends; now.

I don’t know what is going to happen at Bon Appétit. I have read a handful of posts and statements from BA staff calling for action at the company, expressing their knowledge of a need for, and willingness to change. I hope that one day, that change can happen. In the meantime, I am already trying to decide on a few new recipes from “Jubilee” for my July dinner. There are SO MANY delicious looking dishes, I’m having a hard time choosing. I look forward to continuing to expand my instagram feed, bookshelf, cookbook collection and repertoire of dishes to include and represent more knowledge and wisdom from BIPOC writers, authors, chefs…and am looking for recommendations! What else should I be reading, listening to, researching, cooking and eating?

While I take my time determining next month’s menu, please PLEASE take a look at the amazing recipes from “Jubilee” that I’ve made so far; Coffee Scented Short Ribs Braised In Red Wine and String Beans À La Creole along with a Coconut-Lemon Layer Cake- delicious.