Skip to content
Blackbird Cookbooks logo with small black bird in shadow with beak looking upward Blackbird Cookbooks logo with small black bird in shadow with beak looking upward
Close
Blackbird Cookbooks logo with small black bird in shadow with beak looking upward Blackbird Cookbooks logo with small black bird in shadow with beak looking upward
  • Shop Cookbooks
    • Amplify Black Voices
    • American Regional
    • Indigenous American
    • Southern Regional
    • Antiquarian
    • Baking & Desserts
    • BBQ & Grilling
    • Books About Food
    • Bread
    • Children's Cookbooks
    • Cocktails & Beverages
    • Foraging & Wildcrafting
    • Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
    • International & Ethnic
    • Jams, Jellies & Food Preservation
    • Meat & Seafood
    • Single Subject
    • Vegetarian & Vegan
    • Community & Church
    • Junior League Cookbooks
    • All Vintage Books
  • Local Delivery
  • Cooking Classes
  • Blog
Back to: Amplify Black Voices
Previous / Next
Between Harlem and Heaven
Alexander Smalls, JJ Johnson, and Veronica Chambers / Hardcover

Between Harlem and Heaven

$37.50
Shipping calculated at checkout.
 
This item is a recurring or deferred purchase. By continuing, I agree to the cancellation policy and authorize you to charge my payment method at the prices, frequency and dates listed on this page until my order is fulfilled or I cancel, if permitted.

Between Harlem and Heaven is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.

Shop Notes:

This isn't just an incredibly fine collection of delicious and mouthwatering recipes.  I love how Alexander Smalls and JJ Johnson make their case that not all black cooking is "Soul Food" and that the story of the African diaspora in the United States is closely intertwined with the story of other immigrant communities.  And please do not read this review as a critique of soul food, far from it. I am just perennially uncomfortable with the idea of monolithic cultural groups and the authors not only balance this notion in an adept way, but have also found a voice that celebrates traditionally African-American (read: soul) dishes while working confidently towards a more expansive future. 

From the Publisher:

In two of the most renowned and historic venues in Harlem, Alexander Smalls and JJ Johnson created a unique take on the Afro-Asian-American flavor profile. Their foundation was a collective three decades of traveling the African diaspora, meeting and eating with chefs of color, and researching the wide reach of a truly global cuisine; their inspiration was how African, Asian, and African-American influences criss-crossed cuisines all around the world. They present here for the first time over 100 recipes that go beyond just one place, taking you, as noted by The New Yorker, "somewhere between Harlem and heaven."

This book branches far beyond "soul food" to explore the melding of Asian, African, and American flavors. The Afro Asian flavor profile is a window into the intersection of the Asian diaspora and the African diaspora. An homage to this cultural culinary path and the grievances and triumphs along the way, Between Harlem and Heaven isn't fusion, but a glimpse into a cuisine that made its way into the thick of Harlem's cultural renaissance.

About the Authors:


Condition: New

Learn More About the Author(s)

Alexander Smalls is a restaurateur and co-owner of the celebrated Harlem jazz club Minton's. As the former chef/owner of Cafe Beulah, Sweet Ophelia's, Shoebox Cafe, and The Cecil, Smalls has received great acclaim in the restaurant scene―including cooking at the James Beard House and being named one of Zagat's 19 NYC Restaurant Power Players. His memoir and cookbook, Grace the Table features recipes from his upbringing of Southern Revival cuisine. Smalls is also a world-renowned opera singer and the winner of both a Grammy and a Tony Award. He lives in Harlem, New York.

Joseph "JJ" Johnson is a James Beard-nominated chef. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson went on to hone his skills in some of New York's most esteemed kitchens, including Centro Vinoteca, Jane, Tribeca Grill, The Cecil, and Minton's―and to cook in Ghana at the country's leading boutique hotel, Villa Monticello. He was named one of Rolling Stone's ten breakthrough rock star chefs in 2016, one of Zagat's and Forbes's 30 Under 30, as well as Chef of the Year by New York African Restaurant Week. He lives in Harlem, New York.

Release Date: 2018

Condition: New

Language: English


Share
  • Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Twitter Share on Twitter
  • Pinterest Pin it
Left Amplify Black Voices
Previous / Next
Back to the top
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Legal Stuff
  • Site Catalog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund policy
  • Refunds
  • Shipping
  • Vintage Book Condition Guide
  • Buying/Selling
  • Out of Stock Titles
Amazon American Express Apple Pay Discover Google Pay Mastercard PayPal Shop Pay Venmo Visa
Copyright © 2025 Blackbird Cookbooks
Powered by Shopify