Soul Food

Adrian Miller is a writer, attorney, and certified barbecue judge who lives in Denver, CO. He served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton, a senior policy analyst for Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr., and a Southern Foodways Alliance board member.

[A] fascinating look at the cuisine known as soul food and its close cousin, southern cuisine. . . . Photographs and recipes add to the allure of this well-researched look at the past and future of soul food.-Booklist Starred ReviewA wonderful combination of sociological examination of African-American culture and identity, travelogue and cookbook. . . . It's exactly this combination of earnest curiosity and an unwillingness to take his topic too seriously that makes Soul Food such a great read. . . . I highly recommend this book!-Nashville SceneI recommend this book to 'foodies' and to those interested in American history, African American history and preserving good down home soul food cooking.-Tennessee LibrariesMiller's book is a mouth-watering tome that not only titillates the palate, but feeds the brain with science, geography and history.-Denver WestwordInsightful, thoughtful and meticulously researched, Soul Food sets a place for soul food in the American culinary canon. There's no way you won't be craving something sweet and fried and soulful for dinner.-Virginian-PilotCrafts a dynamic and engaging biography of an American cuisine.-Southern HistorianMiller knows all about soul food's allure, both as a way of eating and as cultural totem. . . . [His] book is a labor of love.-Denver PostDeliciously entertaining and rich in its history.-Journal of American CultureMost people don't know soul food the way Miller does. . . . Miller's book studies soul food mainly in terms of its quintessential ingredients or dishes. . . [and] along the way, he dishes up a few surprises.-Winston-Salem JournalThis highly-informative opus . . . is filled with fascinating factoids.-Kam Williams2014 James Beard Foundation Book Award, Reference and ScholarshipMiller took up the challenge of tracing soul food's history and launching its spirited defense after realizing the story had never really been told in a comprehensive way.-Villager NewspaperFocusing each chapter on the culinary and social history of one dish-such as fried chicken, chitlins, yams, greens and 'red drinks'-Miller uncovers how it got on the soul food plate and what it means for African-American culture and identity.-The Philadelphia TribuneJust the book to move readers from one end of the line to the other without getting bogged down. . . . Soul Food is ingenious . . . [and] speaks to the enduring mythological power of its staple dishes.-Michael Twitty, American ProspectAn intelligent review that explores the muddy territory 'where southern food ends and soul food begins.' The journey is as informative as it is entertaining.-Austin ChronicleDetailed and sprightly. . . . [Miller] adds in-depth chapters that explore more than a dozen soulful dishes-including catfish, black-eyed peas, mac and cheese, cornbread, and candied yams.-Stanford MagazineAs Miller tells the whole story of soul food from its beginnings to current day and throughout, he is so skillful at finding cultural and historical context, you may find yourself learning about your own food culture.-Culinary Historians of WashingtonBoth thought-provoking and celebratory.-Edible PiedmontAn engaging, tradition-rich look at an often overlooked American cuisine-certainly to be of interest to foodies from all walks of life.-Kirkus starred review[A] comprehensive and entertaining history of soul food. . . . A lively and thorough account for fans of food literature and of African American history. Recipes included. Highly recommended.-Library Journal[Miller] doesn't do anything halfway.-5280Examines the roots of a distinctly American tradition.-StarNewsOnline.comMiller moves way past common notions about soul food to offer a fascinating look at the cuisine and its close cousin, southern cooking.-Booklist Top 10 Food Books of 2013[A] lively, innovative, and carefully researched study of traditional African American food habits.-North Carolina Historical ReviewMiller makes many surprising points and teaches us a great deal about our Southern foodways' relationship to soul food. . . . Along the way, we get some fascinating insights, and a few great recipes and illustrations.-Okra MagazineAn undeniably entertaining book.-Journal of Southern History