Meals, music, and muses : recipes from my African American kitchen / Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers ; food and author photography by Beatriz da Costa ; food styling by Roscoe Betsill.

Includes index.

Iconic chef and world-renowned opera singer Alexander Smalls marries two of his greatest passions--food and music--in Meals, Music, and Muses. More than just a cookbook, Smalls takes readers on a delicious journey through the South to examine the food that has shaped the region. Each chapter is named for a type of music to help readers understand the spirit that animates these recipes. Filled with classic Southern recipes and twists on old favorites, this cookbook includes starters such as Hoppin' John Cakes with Sweet Pepper Remoulade and Carolina Bourbon Barbecue Shrimp and Okra Skewers, and main dishes like Roast Quail in Bourbon Cream Sauce and Prime Rib Roast with Crawfish Onion Gravy. Complete with anecdotes of Smalls's childhood in the Low Country and examinations of Southern musical tradition, Meals, Music, and Muses is a heritage cookbook in the tradition of Edna Lewis's A Taste of Country Cooking. -- Provided by publisher.

Introduction: Up South -- Jazz: starters -- Spirituals: rice, pasta, and grits: comfort things -- Gospel: field greens and green things -- Opera: fish and seafood -- Divas: opening night dishes: meat and chicken -- Jukebox music: bread, biscuits, and muffins -- Serenades: cakes, pies, and puddings.

In the United States, food and music are inextricably linked-- especially in the African American culture. Smalls have created a curated set a recipes-- a playlist of essential African American dishes. The recipes are the very best of what he has eaten, cooked, and imagined. He divides the book into seven styles of African American music, showing a cuisine as evolving as the people from which it came. -- adapted from Introduction.