Food for the Soul: A Texas Expatriate Nurtures Her Culinary Roots in Paris,Used

Product DescriptionFood for the Soul is a tribute to African Americans, their history, their culture, and their cuisine. The author, Monique Y. Wells, was initially inspired to write a book for African Americans in Paris who wanted a taste of home while living abroad. It was to be a simple collection of recipes and a list of indoor and outdoor markets, American grocers and other places where hardtofind ingredients could be obtained. However, the project evolved and became a labor of love for family, for cooking, and for history.Wells honors her family and its origins in virtually every page of this book, recounting the memories associated with many of the recipes that she presents. She speaks of her mother's Louisiana roots and the initiative that her mother took to preserve the recipes that her family brought to Texas from Louisiana. She talks of the pride and care that her father, a native Texan, takes in his barbecue The Best Barbecue in the World! She also celebrates the tracing of her roots through her maternal grandfathers Creole family back to the Bordeaux region of France.If you were never quite sure about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams, or wondered where okra came from, you need look no further. Food for the Soul presents such information on several ingredients commonly used in soul food dishes as well as the origins of certain dishes. The introductory section also discusses the effects of European conquest, in particular the slave trade, on culinary habits around the world, the meaning of the word 'creole', and the distinction between the origins and gastronomic culture of Cajuns and Creoles.Food for the Soul was named Best Nonfiction Book of 2001 by the Sistah Circle Book Club.Review...a beautifully illustrated book of soulful dishes that embodies the spirit of (Wells') native roots and her love of food. Black Issues Book Review, NovDec 2002MONIQUE Y. WELLS'S FOOD FOR THE SOUL is a delightful cookbook that combines history and family recipes with food. Texas Monthly.com, Books that Cook, March 2002Miss Grace's Chicken and Onions shows how some traditional soul food dishes resemble the simple elegance of French cooking. Damon Lee Fowler, Savannah Morning News, July 23, 2003About the AuthorMonique Y. Wells, a native of Houston, Texas, is a longtime resident of Paris. She has successfully pursued a career in veterinary pathology both in the U.S. and abroad, and has now ventured forth to explore her passion for cooking with her first book, Food for the Soul.Wells left home at the age of 16 to pursue undergraduate studies in biology and French at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Not overly fond of cooking while living at home, she began to appreciate its pleasures when she brought together the only three other AfricanAmerican Houstonians at her apartment at Penn for a soul food dinner.She expanded her interest in cooking during her veterinary school and graduate school years, and continued to develop her culinary skills while employed full time as a pathologist. When the laboratory for which she worked announced plans for its closure, Dr. Wells decided to pursue her dream to live and work in France.Wells moved to Paris in 1992, and continues to practice her profession as a consultant in toxicologic pathology. She and her husband own the travel planning service Discover Paris, which they developed to share their love and everincreasing knowledge of the city with independent travelers. She is also a freelance writer and editor, and coauthor of the travel guide entitled Paris Reflections: Walks Through AfricanAmerican Paris (Christiann Anderson, coauthor).