In Pursuit of Flavor

Praise

“Lewis’s food is both subtle and elegant, made with the confidence and grace that arose from over a half-century in the kitchen. . . . Even 30 years later, Edna Lewis . . . teaches us that ‘good food simply and lovingly prepared’ will never go out of style, while reminding us that the passionate pursuit of flavor can make for one hell of a life.” —The New York Times Book Review

“In Pursuit of Flavor was my introduction to Ms. Lewis and the first African American cookbook I ever owned. It continues to fire a passion for ingredients and the joy of the journey of putting together a meal like no other work. This is culinary elegance to dance by.” —Michael W. Twitty, author of The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South

“As a young child obsessed with cookbooks, reading Miss Edna Lewis’s work felt like finding my way home for the first time. As an adult who makes cookbooks, her work continues to be my north star. Her voice, her life, her beautiful and appealing recipes, and her legacy are right there in her books and it’s so exciting to see the renewed energy around In Pursuit of Flavor. If you’re new to Miss Lewis, get ready to meet an icon.” —Julia Turshen, author of Now & Again, Feed the Resistance, and Small Victories, and founder of Equity at The Table

“Timeless . . . [this] beautiful new edition includes charming illustrations and a foreword by Savannah chef Mashama Bailey, who helms The Grey.” —Southern Living

“This is a quiet book. A gentle book. A book that belongs on your kitchen shelf. From whipped cornmeal with okra, to red rice that recalls a Jolof dish, to rabbit fried in butter perfumed with country ham, this revived classic reminds us of Edna Lewis’s genius.” —John T. Edge, author The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South

“With In Pursuit of Flavor, Miss Lewis showcases her expertise and techniques by taking us on a journey through her childhood. She brings to life the entire farmland as it was seen by someone who lived off the land. She picks fruits and vegetables and shows us how to prepare them for the cupboard. She shows us how to preserve the bounty of the season for later. She takes us to the river and creeks to teach us about the local catches.” —Mashama Bailey (from the Foreword)

“I have seen no better representation of open-mindedness and the all-embracing impulse than in Edna Lewis’s cookbook In Pursuit of Flavor. . . . [Lewis] is renowned (sainted, even, and deservedly so) as the cornerstone of African-American cooking and Southern foodways. For her role in that there are no plaudits too great. She is the sine qua non.” —Max Watman, The Daily Beast

“The clean, seasonal, rustic, and thoroughly nostalgic tone of this book, even soaked in corn pudding and brisket gravy, is a distillation of Southern cooking at its best.” —Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly
 
“If you want to understand American food, you must first take the full measure of Southern cooking. And in order to do that, you have to spend time with Miss Lewis, one of the few cooks who belongs to the pantheon of American culture. Like Aretha Franklin singing gospel, Miss Lewis was both the inheritor of a great tradition and its most talented practitioner. Her books are national treasures, and In Pursuit of Flavor is the overlooked gem in the treasury.” —Kevin West, author of Saving the Season 

“[Lewis] knew every trick in the book (because she wrote it): Season she-crab soup with roe. Punch up cheese straws with extra-sharp cheddar and cayenne. Balance a salad with both bitter and sweet greens.” —Garden & Gun