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Vibration Cooking: or, The Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl

Vibration Cooking: or, The Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl

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Author: Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor

Vibration Cooking was first published in 1970, not long after the term "soul food" gained common use. While critics were quick to categorize her as a proponent of soul food, Smart-Grosvenor wanted to keep the discussion of her cookbook/memoir focused on its message of food as a source of pride and validation of black womanhood and black "consciousness raising."

In 1959, at the age of nineteen, Smart-Grosvenor sailed to Europe, "where the bohemians lived and let live." Among the cosmopolites of radical Paris, the Gullah girl from the South Carolina low country quickly realized that the most universal lingua franca is a well-cooked meal. As she recounts a cool cat's nine lives as chanter, dancer, costume designer, and member of the Sun Ra Solar-Myth Arkestra, Smart-Grosvenor introduces us to a rich cast of characters. We meet Estella Smart, Vertamae's grandmother and connoisseur of mountain oysters; Uncle Costen, who lived to be 112 and knew how to make Harriet Tubman Ragout; and Archie Shepp, responsible for Collard Greens la Shepp, to name a few. She also tells us how poundcake got her a marriage proposal (she didn't accept) and how she perfected omelettes in Paris, enchiladas in New Mexico, biscuits in Mississippi, and feijoida in Brazil. "When I cook, I never measure or weigh anything," writes Smart-Grosvenor. "I cook by vibration."

This edition features a foreword by Psyche Williams-Forson placing the book in historical context and discussing Smart-Grosvenor's approach to food and culture. A new preface by the author details how she came to write Vibration Cooking.

About the Author

Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor is a poet, actress, culinary anthropologist, and writer. She is the author of "Thursdays and Every Other Sunday Off: A Domestic Rap," "Vertamae Cooks in the Americas Family Kitchen," and "Vertamae Cooks Again: More Recipes from the Americas Family Kitchen." She has served as a correspondent and host for National Public Radio and written for the "New York Times," the "Village Voice," the "Washington Post," "Life," "Ebony," and "Essence.""

We strive to process all orders within 2-3 business days from the order date (not including holidays or weekends). Processing time includes checking, packing, and sending your orders to the courier service.

This product ships via USPS Priority Mail, and shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on your location. -

When we print your shipping label, you will receive a confirmation email containing a tracking number. Please allow 24-48 hours for the tracking information to update on the courier's website.

Orders ship directly from each brand on the Marketplace, and your order may arrive in separate packages if products from multiple vendors are included. If you would like your order to arrive as one package, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please reach out to orders@thelocalpalate.com.

Author: Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor

Vibration Cooking was first published in 1970, not long after the term "soul food" gained common use. While critics were quick to categorize her as a proponent of soul food, Smart-Grosvenor wanted to keep the discussion of her cookbook/memoir focused on its message of food as a source of pride and validation of black womanhood and black "consciousness raising."

In 1959, at the age of nineteen, Smart-Grosvenor sailed to Europe, "where the bohemians lived and let live." Among the cosmopolites of radical Paris, the Gullah girl from the South Carolina low country quickly realized that the most universal lingua franca is a well-cooked meal. As she recounts a cool cat's nine lives as chanter, dancer, costume designer, and member of the Sun Ra Solar-Myth Arkestra, Smart-Grosvenor introduces us to a rich cast of characters. We meet Estella Smart, Vertamae's grandmother and connoisseur of mountain oysters; Uncle Costen, who lived to be 112 and knew how to make Harriet Tubman Ragout; and Archie Shepp, responsible for Collard Greens la Shepp, to name a few. She also tells us how poundcake got her a marriage proposal (she didn't accept) and how she perfected omelettes in Paris, enchiladas in New Mexico, biscuits in Mississippi, and feijoida in Brazil. "When I cook, I never measure or weigh anything," writes Smart-Grosvenor. "I cook by vibration."

This edition features a foreword by Psyche Williams-Forson placing the book in historical context and discussing Smart-Grosvenor's approach to food and culture. A new preface by the author details how she came to write Vibration Cooking.

About the Author

Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor is a poet, actress, culinary anthropologist, and writer. She is the author of "Thursdays and Every Other Sunday Off: A Domestic Rap," "Vertamae Cooks in the Americas Family Kitchen," and "Vertamae Cooks Again: More Recipes from the Americas Family Kitchen." She has served as a correspondent and host for National Public Radio and written for the "New York Times," the "Village Voice," the "Washington Post," "Life," "Ebony," and "Essence.""

We strive to process all orders within 2-3 business days from the order date (not including holidays or weekends). Processing time includes checking, packing, and sending your orders to the courier service.

This product ships via USPS Priority Mail, and shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on your location. -

When we print your shipping label, you will receive a confirmation email containing a tracking number. Please allow 24-48 hours for the tracking information to update on the courier's website.

Orders ship directly from each brand on the Marketplace, and your order may arrive in separate packages if products from multiple vendors are included. If you would like your order to arrive as one package, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please reach out to orders@thelocalpalate.com.