Library Read // Black Girl Baking by Jerrelle Guy

For Jerrelle Guy, food has always been what has shaped her—her body, her character, her experiences and her palate. Growing up as the sensitive, slightly awkward child of three in a race-conscious space, she decided early on that she’d rather spend her time eating cookies and honey buns than taking on the weight of worldly issues. It helped her see that good food is the most powerful way to connect, understand and heal.

Inspired by this realization, each one of her recipes tells a story. Orange Peel Pound Cake brings back memories of summer days eating Florida oranges at Big Ma’s house, Rosketti cookies reimagine the treats her mother ate growing up in Guam, and Plaited Dukkah Bread parallels the braids worked into her hair as a child.

Jerrelle leads you on a sensual baking journey using the five senses, retelling and reinventing food memories while using ingredients that make her feel more in control and more connected to the world and the person she has become. Whole flours, less refined sugar and vegan alternatives make it easier to celebrate those sweet moments that made her who she is today.

Escape everyday life and get lost in the aromas, sounds, sights, textures and tastes of Black Girl Baking

Unless I have a specific food or cooking style in mind, I don't actively tend to seek out cookbooks. In the day and age of Googling specific recipes, not being as wild a foodie as I may have been in my youth, there's less pull to invest time reading through an entire book of recipes the majority of which I'll never try or do not interest me. But I still read through some regardless because of great storytelling or a fantastic progression of pictures, two aspects that are must-haves in my opinion. 

All of that to say I didn't go searching for this book. I saw it at my local library on display at the start of fall. In the general feeling of the season, I was in a baking mood. Add to that the insinuation (or fact) of recipes crafted by a Black woman with a Southern background. Newly relocated to the South, that added a dimension of interest. So on a whim, and after the quickest of skim-throughs, I borrowed the book. 

Maybe I should skimmed the book with more scrutiny. Once I got into the recipes it became evident that, reflecting the author's highlighted dietary background, the recipes were mostly vegan. That's fine, I often substitute for eggs. However, not a fruit connoisseur, the applesauce substitutions were never going to resonate. But, as I said, the background of the recipes, the author's general culinary journey and heritage, as conveyed, and the appealing photography were a great combination. 4 stars from me.