Adrian Miller Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time | (2013) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
The President's Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas | (2017) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Adrian Miller
Adrian Miller is a history and non-fiction author, food writer, barbeque judge, and attorney. After years of working in the White House as President Bill Clinton’s special assistant, Miller moved to Denver, where he currently acts as Colorado Council of Churches executive director.
He also sits on the board of the Southern Foodways alliance. Miller’s love for food is evident throughout his writing, and, amazingly, he rewards his readers with great recipes they can try at home. His debut novel, Soul Food, earned him a James Beard Foundation award in 2014, while his other book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet, was nominated for the NAACP Image Award in 2018.
The President’s Kitchen Cabinet
The President’s Kitchen Cabinet tells the stories of men and women who worked as personal cooks, chefs, stewards, and butlers in the presidential food service for decades. Since Gorge and Martha Washington’s era, over 150 black men and women have dedicated countless hours to serve the first families.
Thanks to their close relationships with the first families, these individuals witnessed numerous unforgettable events that occurred in and out of the white house. Even when slavery was still practiced in the US, these black men and women held important positions in the White House kitchen, and they were well respected for their talents and abilities.
Reading this book makes you feel like a fly in the white house. Did you know that the white house was so hot during the summers that all presidents lived elsewhere during this period? This went on until air conditioning was installed in the 1950s.
You will also read about Lincoln, who didn’t like eating much, and Barak Obama’s love for a garden filled with healthy foods. If you think that claims that black people make great cooks are baseless, the author will make you otherwise.
It is no accident that the White House has hired mostly black women and men to take care of food matters. There are also some yummy recipes to try and see if you enjoy them like the country’s presidents did.
Many have written about the presidency, but no one has focused on whatever the presidents eat the happenings in the White House kitchen.
This is odd given that food is vital in understanding history. This is one of the reasons why this book is so captivating.
It is not like any history cookbook you have read before.
The focus on African American presidential foodservice members also gives this book quite an edge.
Aside from learning about different presidents and their favorite dishes, this book is filled with fun anecdotes about the white house and the presidency in general. Working in the white house has allowed the author inside information on numerous events, which shows in his writing.
The President’s Kitchen Cabinet is an intriguing read characterized by funny anecdotes, yummy recipes, and great characters.
This book tells the stories of black men and women who have served presidents with their big families and never-ending guests with love, affection, and sacrifice. It is fun to discover several president’s tastes, moods, and relationships with food.
Some little-known facts also come to the surface, such as John Adam’s love for a garden and Barack Obama reviving this tradition many years later.
If you love American history, there is no doubt that you will enjoy this book. It is fun meeting the men and women who have kept the presidents and their families well-nourished over the years in this charming little gem.
Soul Food
Soul Food is a captivating book that highlights the best of American Cuisine. The author goes into the history of these dishes and highlights the ingredients, innovations, and influences that went into what is considered soul food.
Each chapter focuses on one dish, starting with fried chicken, yams, and greens to the red drinks. This makes it easier to focus on one dish at a time and learn as much about it as possible.
The author also links these dishes to the African American culture and brings some interesting facts to the surface.
This intriguing book highlights the complex fusion of Native American, European, and West African cuisines in over four decades. Soul food is now a part of the American culture, and the author points at just how common it is.
Thanks to the cuisine’s sugary, fried, and pork-infused nature, it has somehow contributed to the bad health raps. Fortunately, the author offers some much healthier alternatives and guidance on how to make the best out of available food items.
It is amazing how many facts Miller has packed in this book. You will learn something new on each page and perhaps appreciate some of America’s signature dishes even more.
This is a captivating read touching on iconic food dishes, the major events they are associated with, and their contribution to the American culture. On these pages, the author offers scholarly footnotes to support his arguments.
These footnotes explain the connection between Orisha and chicken, the off-post restaurants that served African-American chitlins and red Kool-Aid in Vietnam, and so much more.
The author also discusses the Harlem Macaroni factory that popularized macaroni and cheese and the events that saw the emergence of banana pudding.
Don’t be shocked if you find yourself drooling over these delicacies and trying some of these simple yet original recipes.
Soul Food is a refreshing look at America’s celebrated, maligned, and mythologized cuisines.
The book comes with tantalizing photos and spirited sidebars that are sure to keep you engaged to the last page. Miller’s writing is simple yet detailed, and he has a way of drawing you in and holding your attention for long.
There are also over twenty recipes that you can try, and it is amazing that there are enough healthy alternatives for everyone.
If you enjoy good food history and trying out new recipes, you will love this book. It is not every day that you stumble on a cookbook that is educational, entertaining, and with enough recipes for you to try in your free time