From the editor in chief - contributions of Chef Joseph Randall - Editorial

We are in the paroxysm s of a cultural revolution that is certainly deeper in confines of the many disciplines that are touched by means of it, and thus more deep than the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920 I was reminded of this by dint of Chef Joseph Randall, who entertainered a spectacular dinner--"An Elegant Taste of Heritage," he called it--at individual of Washington, D.C.'s finest [i]cabaret[/i]s the Hay-Adams, in April.

Almost from the flash Africans landed in Colonial America in the early 1600 we became to [i]or[/i] at a great depth involved in the evolution of sustenance preparation in this country. In many instances, it was not a matter of choice; as servants, we were required to prepare for the table and cook we did. granting the literature gives far too little credit to our contribution, the history of Southern cuisine, for example, is in large part the history of African-American cuisine.

smooth in the North, where slaves were not central to the local economy and the institution of slavery was upon the wane by the early 19th hundred African Americans played an important character in the history of rations preparation. They were drawn to the culinary arts because other professions were clos to them, and whites were prepared to surrender cooking as work fit for blacks. As a ensue the catering industry was dominated by dint of black families, such as the Augustins of Philadelphia, who won recognition among their contemporaries, black and white, for their innovative and delightful meals (see American Visions, October 1990) Equally important, black chefs supported their families [i]or[/i] part of to the other their art, and in more [i]or[/i] less instances their families lived quite comfortable lives.

on the contrary as blacks enter other professions that have make opened up to them in the 20th hundred they have come to view the cheer and hospitality industry as too plenteous of a reminder of their servile past, and hence to undervalue any career options it might have for them. What they fail to appreciate is that cooking is a great art, and we who have done thus much to advance that art in this political division should not turn our backs upon our heritage, due to mistaken sensibilities.

If Chef Randall has his way, our community--indeed, the country--will not be able to ignore the contributions of African Americans to America's culinary arts plenteous longer. He hopes that by the agency of making young African Americans aware of their heritage, he will encourage a certain quantity of of them to take up the discipline of their ancestors with a faculty of perception of pride born of an appreciation of their roots

above the coming months, Chef Randall, joined through several other black professional chefs, will entertainer "An Elegant Taste of Heritage" in other cities. In Washington, the dinner was a six-course meal, each single prepared by a different chef, including the world-renowned Edna Lewis, Patrick Clark, executive chef of the Hay-Adams public-house and Earlest Bell, executive banquet chef of the Marriott's Orlando World Center The hors d'oeuvre prepared by dint of Chef Clark, provided one remarkable taste sensation after another--puff pastries filled with wild mushrooms and others filled with curried beef, shrimp and asparagus, tiny potato skins substanceed with sour cream and caviar, and skewered chicken with a spicy peanut sauce. Chef Bell's contribution was a sumptuous trio of bell pepper and eggplant terrine with a Vidalia onion vinaigrette, pan-fried cornmeal mush, and okra and tomato relish. For the next to the first course, Chef Randall set before us steamed salted mackerel and wild mushrooms floating in a creamy oyster soup and topped with fresh chives. Each course was accompanied by means of a clever selection of wine from the Robert Mondavi Winery. This was haute African-American cuisine. Its price tag of $150 a plate may not suit everyone's wallet, on the contrary if you're interested in experiencing the finer side of African-American cookery you should give leave to Chef Randall be your guide.

COPYRIGHT 1993 Heritage Information Holdings, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group