For most Americans, Creole cooking is permanently and exclusively linked to the city of New Orleans. But Creole food is more than the deep, rich flavors of Louisiana gumbo. In reality, its range encompasses foods spread across the Atlantic rim.

BIO

Jessica B. Harris holds a PhD from NYU, teaches English at Queens College, and lectures internationally. The author of the memoir My Soul Looks Back as well as twelve cookbooks, her articles have appeared in Vogue, Food & Wine, Essence, and The New Yorker, among other publications; she has made numerous television and radio appearances and has been profiled in The New York Times. Considered one of the preeminent scholars of the food of the African Diaspora, Harris has been inducted into the James Beard Who's Who in Food and Beverage in America, received an honorary doctorate from Johnson & Wales University and recently helped the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture to conceptualize its cafeteria.

REVIEWS 

"The kind of culinary anthropology that helps us understand our world and its people on a level rarely offered, but sorely needed. A joy to have, even if you don't cook." --Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Emmy Award-winning journalist and author of In My Place

"Once again, Jessica Harris masters the ability to both educate and inspire the reader in a fascinating new way. I particularly enjoy her way of using culture and history to merge the three major cuisines in "Beyond Gumbo." --Marcus Samuelsson, chef-owner of Aquavit 

"As butter is to bread, cream is to sugar, and brown pan gravy is to steamed buttered rice, Jessica Harris is the bowl that cradles and warms our gumbo. She has conjured up the souls of the ancestors and set the table with their most memorable recipes. Because of Jessica, if we want to, we can eat our way home again. If preparing these dishes doesn't have you dancing, then have a cup of Zazerac from Cuba, or Sazerac, as it's called in New Orleans, and you will. Your steps will be lighter, and your heart will overflow with love." --Alexander Smalls, host, author, opera singer, and chef-restaurateur

Simon & Schuster /  October 21, 2012

1.2" H x 9.1" L x 7.3" W (1.1 lbs) 402 pages