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.
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.