Food for the Soul: A Texas Expatriate Nurtures Her Culinary Roots in Paris

Food for the Soul: A Texas Expatriate Nurtures Her Culinary Roots in Paris by Wells, Monique Y.. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781587830006.

Food for the Soul is a tribute to African Americans, their history, their culture, and their cuisine. The author, Monique Y. Wells, was initially inspired to write a book for African Americans in Paris who wanted a taste of home while living abroad. It was to be a simple collection of recipes and a list of indoor and outdoor markets, American grocers and other places where hard-to-find ingredients could be obtained. However, the project evolved and became a labor of love – for family, for cooking, and for history. Wells honors her family and its origins in virtually every page of this book, recounting the memories associated with many of the recipes that she presents. She speaks of her mothers Louisiana roots and the initiative that her mother took to preserve the recipes that her family brought to Texas from Louisiana. She talks of the pride and care that her father, a native Texan, takes in his barbecue - The Best Barbecue in the World! She also celebrates the tracing of her roots through her maternal grandfather’s Creole family back to the Bordeaux region of France. If you were never quite sure about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams, or wondered where okra came from, you need look no further. Food for the Soul presents such information on several ingredients commonly used in soul food dishes as well as the origins of certain dishes. The introductory section also discusses the effects of European conquest, in particular the slave trade, on culinary habits around the world, the meaning of the word "creole", and the distinction between the origins and gastronomic culture of Cajuns and Creoles. Food for the Soul was named Best Nonfiction Book of 2001 by the Sistah Circle Book Club.