The First Cookbook by an African-American Chef" includes nearly 600 mouth-watering recipes: chicken gumbo, chestnut stuffing with truffles, cherry dumplings, southern style waffles, baked milk (an early form of custard), parsnip fritters, and scores ... Read more

The First Cookbook by an African-American Chef" includes nearly 600 mouth-watering recipes: chicken gumbo, chestnut stuffing with truffles, cherry dumplings, southern style waffles, baked milk (an early form of custard), parsnip fritters, and scores of other dishes from haute cuisine to family-style meals. Estes had worked for years as a chef in deluxe private railroad cars, where he honed his culinary skills preparing lavish meals for industry magnates and even American presidents. Estes ran a more stationary kitchen as a caterer to executives with the U.S. Steel Corporation, the first billion-dollar corporation in the world, by the time his cookbook appeared. His cookbook doesn't skimp on the lard or fats, and also includes an introduction with a brief sketch covering Este's Southern childhood and early years as a railway attendant. The recipes in "Rufus Estes' Good Things to Eat: The First Cookbook by an African-American Chef" are brief, don't always list proportions, and are tend to features recipes the way Grandma used to have them-with a pinch of this, a spoonful of that, and much of the detail memorized memory! Nonetheless, with its wide variety of recipe ideas and unique ethnic flavor, "Rufus Estes' Good Things to Eat: The First Cookbook by an African-American Chef" is of special value to anyone interested in the African-American experience. Less