Cooking up change : Grandma's recipes from a year in Black history / written by Michael Platt ; illustrated by Alleanna Harris ; recipes by Michael Platt and Grandma Sarah.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In Cooking Up Change --the eagerly awaited sequel to teen chef and food justice advocate Michael Platt's Recipes for Change --Platt journeys through a year in Black history with a little help from his beloved grandmother as he retells 12 important historic events and shares a recipe inspired by each one



Cooking Up Change is both a celebration of Black history and an invitation to experience it through the lens of food. With biographies of figures who shaped important events and mouthwatering recipes that carry their essence, this book will inspire future leaders with real stories of trailblazers who helped to change the world.



One event per month is highlighted. After sharing the story of a person related to each event--such as Dorothy Height for International Women's Day in March--Platt pairs each moment with a delectable recipe that carries the essence of the occasion. All the stories and recipes featured are inspired by his grandmother; the person who guided him in unearthing his Black heritage and moved him to fall in love with cooking.



Each page features engaging color illustrations from Alleanna Harris.



Recipes include: Macaroni and cheese for Martin Luther King Jr. Day Key lime pie for Black History Month Deep dish peach cobbler for International Women's Day Grilled fish for Jackie Robinson Day Molasses cookies for Memorial Day Red hibiscus drink for Juneteenth Apple pie for Independence Day Potato salad for the Great Migration Sweet potato pie for Labor Day Pork chops for Black Poetry Day Green gumbo for Election Day Coconut cake for Kwanzaa

Praise for Recipes for Change :

"Beautifully weaves together important Black history with delicious recipes." --Kwame Onwuachi, James Beard Award winner and Top Chef contestant

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4 Up--This work is part historical text and part cookbook wherein notable teen chef Platt pays homage to both Black historical figures and his own grandmother. The cookbook is sectioned into months of the year, each featuring a significant holiday or event accompanied by a Black trailblazer and a recipe from Grandma Sarah. Readers will learn facts about Black history not often taught in schools, for example, that A. Phillip Randolph established the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids for passenger train workers, which became the first Black union to be chartered by the American Federation of Labor. In tandem are notable dishes to be enjoyed by everyone. Each event is described in small paragraphs dotted across colorful full-page spreads, with the corresponding historical figure set in the foreground and the recipe set in a colorful column at the end of each entry. Back matter includes a glossary, short biographies of the historical figures mentioned, and a further reading list. Food and history go hand-in-hand with culture, which is powerfully demonstrated with Harris's digital illustrations of the trailblazers, Black people in action based on the description of the historical moment, and of course the recipe itself. Each recipe is complete with thorough ingredients and instructions without detracting from the historical component or the artwork. VERDICT Foodies and history buffs will enjoy this attractive cookbook filled with both recipes and facts about favorite foods and notable Black icons in history.--Lois Young

Booklist Review

Like its companion work, Recipes for Change (2023), this cookbook works its way through the calendar year, offering 12 recipes that honor African American icons. Some choices represent standard kid-pleasing choices (macaroni and cheese for January, allegedly Martin Luther King's favorite dish); others are tied more directly to people or events. February introduces A. Philip Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of Pullman Sleeping Car Porters union (recipe: Grandma Sarah's Key Lime Pie). Baseball and Jackie Robinson arrive in time for spring training (grilled fish); traditional African hibiscus punch is suggested for Juneteenth, and October, in a nod to Black Poetry Day, brings a recipe for pork chops associated with Maya Angelou's poem "The Health-Food Diner." The recipes are all pretty straightforward, and adult supervision, especially around knives and hot stoves, is encouraged. The illustrations show family and friends gathered together, enjoying each other's company. The narrative explains how grassroots activism often started around dinner tables and community social events. This celebration of Black history and culinary traditions is easily and deliciously digestible.