I'm sorry to say I won't be reviewing this book after all. I've lost interest in reading it. Thank you for the opportunity.

I actually ended up purchasing a copy of this book. Some of the recipe copies reminded me of my grandmother's old cookbook that is now just a stack of yellow pages wrapped in ribbon. The research that went into the book is extensive and I thought it was truly fascinating.

A brilliantly written book that absolutely demolishes the idea that black women and slaves were just 'cooking on instinct' with no finesse, no idea of what they were doing, and their food was good by sheer luck. Black women have a rich history and their contributions to cooking have been vast and underrated. A must read for everyone who loves cooking and/or food!

I can't seem to open this file. When I downloaded, I was given the option to open in OverDrive, but that didn't work. Instead I have a file in OD that won't open. Disappointing.

This book is exactly what it says it is - two centuries worth of cookbooks by African American authors. Yes, there are introductions on the social and political aspects of African American cooking during that time, both for the book in general and also the sections, or perhaps that should be eras, the books are divided into. But basically this is a list of cookbooks from 1827 to 1990 - okay, not an exact two hundred years but two centuries is still correct.

The earlier years are understandably sparser and more spread out. The books are rarer, both in terms of the number printed and the number preserved. It's a shame since in many regards they are the more interesting sections being that much more removed from a world we find familiar. However, the modern books shouldn't be discounted. They chronicle history as much as anything older and can still hold your attention. Part of what makes it work in that regard is the book reviews, if that's the right word, themselves are almost completely devoid of anything beyond the pages. They are simple affectionate looks at the very subject. A collectors catalogue with reverence for the items themselves and ignoring the bigger picture that may surround them. As I say, that's left for the side-commentary. It's a very simple split that I didn't expect in what could be a very complex and intertwined history.

The book is laid out beautifully, yet has somewhat plain and practical photos of the books being examined. They could be direct from a museum exhibit. Yet it frames them well. It gives the historic pages a chance to be appreciated for themselves rather than competing with other books.

Yes, the book can be a little dry in places. As with any collection there will be peaks and troughs in terms of personal engagement, but what is clear throughout is a real fascination with the subject at hand. It makes for a surprisingly enticing read that is easy to come back to.

Shame its not a cook book. But, I found this book very interesting with lots of history of African American cookbooks from the 19th century to the present. There were a few old recipes which was reprints from old recipes book s of their past. This book is more of a encyclopaedia / resource type book about African American cookbooks. But I found this fascinating to see what the cookbooks looked like and read how African Americans, specifically women, and the ingredients that they used shaped the food history of America.
This book would be a good table reference book.

Review on Amazon uk and Goodreads Blog

Filled with research and analysis, this is essentially an exhaustive annotated bibliography. While it's a bit dense for casual reading, it would be valuable to anyone doing research (personal or scholarly) on the culinary impact and history of the African diaspora in the US and the evolving attitudes towards them.

While not a cookbook itself, The Jemima Code is an amazing resource which compiles the history of African American cookbooks from the 19th century to the present. I wasn't really sure how interesting a encyclopedia/resource type book would be, but it was fascinating to see what the cookbooks looked like and read how African Americans, specifically women, and the ingredients that they used shaped the food history of America. I initially thought this would include some recipes but it does not other than some reprinted pictures of recipes which are not easy to read.

decline as I cannot download ARC on my kindle. Thank you for the opportunity.

It wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be, but it was in a way, if that makes sense. So informative. Well researched and interesting. I remember seeing some of the later books discussed in this book in bookstores growing up! But it's more than a trip down memory lane, It was interesting to read about each of the books and some of the cooks behind them. It even had some recipes I might try- I want to make this clear tho', it is not a recipe book! It only has a few from the many books it references.

I collect cookbooks and I used to collect cookbooks with my grandmother .I continue to go to cookbooks because even though they never measured a lot in there cooking ,because they were taught to do that ,She always looked at cookbooks and she would tweak the recipes in them . It just brought me close to her and taught me so much about culture and food and people .This book does for the same for African-American culture and cuisine and dispels a lot of myths and misconceptions.

The Jemima Code is more of a resource book, and not an actual cookbook, that provides a chronological compilation of the history of African American cooking beginning in the 19th century to 2000's. Although the book wasn't what I was expecting, the sheer wealth of information the author dispensed was fascinating. The presentation was a little on the dry side, but the sections were spaced in such a way that I never felt overwhelmed while reading.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher via NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book on learned so much on the history of African-American culture in the American food history landscape.

What a fantastic tour of black history through food, all in one compendium. An amazing addition to any kitchen or library bookshelf--this belongs on both!

I went in thinking that this book would have more recipes than it does. The history of cookbooks and their authors was interesting in places, but fell flat in others. Really liked seeing the old cookbooks from way back when. This would not be a keep in the kitchen book, but a nightstand stack book.