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By Root 538 0

for decades, so it is impossible to acknowledge all who contributed to it personally and by name. You know who you are and please know that I am grateful for the conversations held, the meals shared, the sustaining phone calls, and more. I must also acknowledge all those who came before me in the area of food history and especially the trailblazers in the area of African American food history; I am only a link in the chain.

Some, though, must be thanked by name, and so I want to express my deep gratitude to those who helped me with research: Jan Bradford, Patricia Hopkins, Daniel Hammer, Georgia Chadwick, John T. Edge, Novelette Brown, Nishani Frasier, Shirley Sands, Susan Tucker, Karen Leatham, and librarians and research assistants, bookstore owners, postcard vendors, antique dealers, colleagues, and others. To all my editors past and present who have made me a better writer: Judith Kern, Pam Hoenig, Sydny Miner, Bill LeBlond, Robert Christgau, David Johnson, Audrey Peterson, and Corie Brown and the folks at Zesterdaily.com.

Thanks are also due my multi-continental extended “family,” who nourished me both physically and mentally during the writing of this book, including in New York, Jane Daniels Lear and Sam Lear, Elaine Greenstein and Jose Medina, Jacqueline and Bill Reeves, Vanessa Abukusumo and family, William Freeman, Cheikh Oumar Thiam and family, Makale Faber Cullen and Rico Cullen, Yvette Burgess Polcyn and family, Martha Mae Jones, Thomas Jayne and Rick Ellis, Tom Gibson, Linda Cohen, Shikha Dalal and family, Vasu Varadan, and my friend, counselor, and quiet mentor Maya Angelou. A tip of the hat to Eddie Garcia, mailman extraordinaire, and my neighbors the Payne Hall family, especially “Miss” Julia, who is my cats’ new godmother. Friends and colleagues at Queens College and Dillard University have been especially helpful, particularly their respective presidents, Jim Muyskens and Marvalene Hughes, and Nancy Comley, Frank Franklin, Michael Cogswell, Ricky Riccardi, Danille Taylor, Tony King, David V. Taylor, Bettye Parker Smith, Jerry Ward, Gail Bowman, Zena Ezeb, and Corthel Clark. In New Orleans, the Costa family, Gail McDonough, Leah Chase and family, Lolis Eric Elie and family, Ron and Nancy Harrell, Michèle and Ulrick Jean Pierre, Ann and Matt Konigsmark and family, Liz Williams, Daphne Derven, John Batty, Poppy Tooker, Ken Smith, Simon and Shelly Gunning, Michael Sartisky, Nadine and Simon Blake, Priscilla and John Lawrence and the team at HNOC, Kerry Moody, Patrick Dunne, and the Lucullus ladies—Roberta, Rebecca, and Michelle—all aided, abetted, and suffered through my madness. The Charleston Crew, including Mitchell and Randall, Kit and Mary, Nichole Greene, Lou Hammond, and Elizabeth and Paul Kitchen, keep me smiling always. The Martha’s Vineyard contingent, Olive Tomlinson, Keren Tonnensen, Mitzi and Flip, Gretchen Tucker Underwood, Madelon Stent Gibell and Ron Gibell, “Aunt” Vivian Douglass, Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Ron Gault, Holly Nadler, Doug Best, Rhonda Conley, David Amaral, Anne Patrick, Daryl Alexander, Ron and Paula, Ron and Anne, and the Blitzer family, haul me around and drag me away from my computer when I get too serious.

Thanks are also due those who started me on my journey by giving me my first tastes of the food of the continent of my ancestors: In Benin, the Komaclo, Houemavo, and Grimaud clans, especially Theodora, Theophile Linda, Alain, Yves, Serge, Aimée, Albert, Christo, Alexi, and Bobby. In Senegal, Anna Kamara and Nichole Ndongo Cool—long-lost sisters recently returned to the fold. My spiritual family at Casa Branca do Engenho Velho continues to sustain me, especially Mae Tatá, Sinha, Gersoney, and Belo. Friends far and near like Peter Patout, Patricia Wilson, Patricia Lawrence and Noel, John Martin Taylor, Maricel Presilla, Judith Carney, Dr. Debbie, Fritz Blank, William Woys Weaver, and Martha Rose Schulman became involved with this project, and I thank them as well. There is always someone whom I inadvertently forgot; if it is you, please know that it is not through lack