In The Rise, chef Marcus Samuelsson writes with Osayi Endolyn about the multifaceted landscape of Black American cooking, and crafts recipes with Yewande Komolafe and Tamie Cook in honor of the individuals defining this cuisine. Cassava as an ingredient features prominently--in dumplings accompanying a prawn and catfish stew and as the flour used in Sweet Wild Berry Pie. Samuelsson also instructs on the making of staples like ayib, an Ethiopian cheese he combines with sweet potato to fill brown butter-sautéed ravioli, while asking why it is that this cheese that is texturally similar to ricotta lacks the same popularity in the U.S.
Rejecting stereotypical representations of Black cooking, Samuelsson presents under-recognized ingredients and dishes that draw influence from the U.S. South and the African diaspora. --Sylvia Al-Mateen, freelance reviewer and editor