Celebrate American Soul with Chef Renae Wilson
Come celebrate the recent release of American Soul: The Black History of Food in the United States with the mind behind its 40 recipes, Chef Renae Wilson of Dear Henry Fine Southern Cooking. To mark the occasion, Renae will craft an abundant Southern-inspired charcuterie and share more about the process of building the book and its food stories.
American Soul, published by National Geographic, invites all the senses into learning about the role of Black peoples in shaping this country's cuisine. Don't miss the opportunity to hear more about which must-have recipes made it onto the page and sample a few yourself. It's also a great gift for any budding foodie or historian in your world!
Tickets:
Standard: general admission, including bites and a pot likker martini (N/A option available)
Standard + Book: general admission + a signed copy of American Soul
More about the book
Delve into foodways of the United States, including testimonies from more than 30 Black chefs, restaurateurs, historians and luminaries, as well as 40 historically-rooted recipes crafted by Brooklyn-based recipe developer Renae Wilson.
This illuminating narrative from Anela Malik, the voice behind the popular Feed the Malik, tracks the development of American cuisine from the days of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to modern history. This captivating journey through the culinary history of the United States includes:
Deep-rooted history from crop migration from West Africa to the chitlin’ circuit of the Civil Rights Movement to the modern-day fried chicken sandwich craze.
Voices in food, with reflections and profiles of more than 30 Black chefs and culinary luminaries including Jessica B. Harris, Cheryl Day, and BJ Dennis.
Illustrated maps and more than 150 photographs illustrating the country’s rich culinary past, regional foodways, historical rice growing regions, barbecue trends, and more
And 40 recipes from southern skillet cornbread and macaroni and cheese to jerk pork lumpia and blackberry cobbler.
With nuance and empathy, Anela and Renae reveal the unrecognized Black roots of some of the most iconic American food traditions and provides a deeper understanding of the profound yet hidden contributions of the Black community to American cuisine.
More about the participants
Originally from South Carolina, Renae Wilson has been Brooklyn-based for 10 years. A US Navy Veteran, Renae used her Montgomery GI Bill to fund her culinary & pastry education at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. She works as a private chef & caterer, recipe tester & developer, and food writer.
More about BEM
BEM Cultural Foundation (BCF) is the sibling nonprofit to BEM | books & more, a bookstore and culinary hub dedicated to global Black foodways and storytelling.
Established in 2025, BCF creates programs and experiences that deepen the public’s knowledge of Black culinary and literary traditions across the diaspora. BCF prioritizes communal gatherings, creating space to celebrate and explore Black food through literature while serving as a home for readers, writers, cooks, and eaters passionate about Black cultures in all their diversity.