In all the ways that food can call us to gather, it can also show us ways to rebel and to feed our resistance to power. And that’s the focus of Julia Turshen’s tiny but powerful cookbook; she gathered recipes from chefs and activists seeking a way to feed those who helped push for change after the 2016 election. And now we find ourselves in similar circumstances, but now – unlike then – we have the resources from eight years ago.
In her forward, Turshen reminds us that “Resistance…needs to be fed in order to be sustained”. Many of the recipes in this book are simple and fully satisfying, and they invite us – they remind us – to feed ourselves and those who help us in our resistance. Many recipes are created from ten items or fewer, and many of those ingredients come from our pantries and the produce aisle of the supermarket. To give you a sampling of what this cookbook offers, there are recipes for an easy posole, a dark roux mushroom gumbo, a rich baked Japanese sweet potato, grits, and a Tikka Masala mac and cheese. These are foods that are rich, savory, sweet, and wholly nourishing; they’re the kinds of foods that aim to fuel our resistance as we gather to push back against those who would seek to quiet and silence us. And Turshen’s book is the perfect place to start if you’re looking for ways to begin or reinvigorate yourselves and others, from plate to protest.
This review first appeared in the December 2024 print edition of Out in Wichita. Click here to see the review in print.
shelly. walston. writes. 