When most people think of soul food, images of barbecued pig’s feet and southern fried everything indelibly come to mind.  But Bryant Terry, Author of Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine, is trying to change all of that.  The Eco-Chef and Food Activist draws upon his Memphis Tennessee upbringing, where his grandparents taught him how to grow, prepare and appreciate wholesome food, as the inspiration for his latest book.  His previous book, Grub:  Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen deftly uses humor to discuss the serious intersection between health, environmental, and social justice issues.  As an activist, he founded b-healthy! (Build Healthy Eating and Lifestyles to Help Youth).  The non-profit empowers young people to create a more sustainable and just food system.  As an Eco-Chef, food is the common denominator Terry uses to bring attention to community health and food-related issues in urban communities.

Greenopia talks with the Eco-Chef/Activist about what he’s got cookin’.

Greenopia:  What inspired you to reinterpret soul food classics with a vegan twist in Vegan Soul Kitchen, especially considering that (correct me if I’m wrong) you don’t consider yourself to be a vegan?

Bryant:  While I maintain a plant-based diet devoid of animal products I do not identify as a vegan.  I want to encourage people to make consumption choices based upon their values and their body’s ever-evolving needs rather than boxing themselves in with a label.  I was clear that I wanted to present African American/Afro Diasporic-inspired recipes without animal products, but I did not want to ghettoize my book in either the vegan or the soul food genres.  I simply wanted to present delicious food that paid homage to my ancestors.  I’m glad my team convinced me to go with the title Vegan Soul Kitchen because I have seen my book broaden people’s understanding of both vegan and African American cuisines.

Greenopia:  How does your book Vegan Soul Kitchen inform or act as an extension to your work as a food justice activist for urban youth?

Bryant:  Using the sensual pleasures of the table to excite people about eating and fighting for real food is my activism.

Greenopia:  You pair a musical selection with each of your recipes in the book, what do you see as the interplay between music and food?

Bryant:  While my approach to cooking is certainly inspired by other chef’s and cookbook authors, I also find a lot of inspiration from architects, activists, designers, filmmakers, painters, photographers, and (drumroll, please) musicians.  Early on in my career I decided to pair a suggested soundtrack with every recipe that I created in order to share songs that might have inspired a recipe or highlight an album that I thought would make a perfect accompaniment to a meal.  In my mind, I see myself as a culinary dj/producer, if you will, cutting, pasting, reworking, and remixing various foodways, staples, cooking techniques, and dietary models to create something that looks backwards and forwards at the same time (Sankofa). 

Greenopia:  What are some of your favorite recipes in the book?

Bryant:  When I want to indulge friends and family with a crunchy, fatty, and scrumptious snack at parties, I make Black-Eyed Pea Fritters with Hot Pepper Sauce.  One of my favorite recipes to make in advance and freeze for when I want a tasty meal is Jamaican Veggie Patties.  And I probably make a pot of Double Mustard Greens and Roasted Yam Soup or Gumbo Z—a vegan gumbo with 4 different types of greens—at least once per month.

Greenopia:  What has been the response from the African-American community to the book?

Bryant:  I get at least half a dozen messages every week from people who identify as African-American saying that they are really fond of Vegan Soul Kitchen.  I wrote this book for everyone, and it was important that my recipes be appealing to vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike (as well as people of all ethnicities).  A lot of older African-Americans say that my recipes remind them of country cooking.  Younger African-American vegetarians and vegans are happy there is a cookbook that speaks to them culturally.

Greenopia:  What new projects can we look forward to from you in the near future?

Bryant:  I will continue traveling the country doing cooking demonstrations, lectures, and book signings.  I have a new book coming out in 2011.  And I have a very exciting top-secret project in the works that I look forward to sharing.

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