Ebony's Food Lab Returns

 Ebony magazine has always on the forefront of Black American ideas and trends. One division of the famed world renown magazine was their food section. They were also known for their innovative recipes cooked in a funky for the times kitchens. Now both are being celebrated in a retrospect.c

Regular contributor and writer for the Btiiman Project Kayla Stewart wrote about the famed test kitchen in yesterday's New York Times Food section as well as including some of the magazines most classic recipes. The kitchen was quite innovative for its' time , around the late Sixties and early Seventies.It was at the heart of American Black Food culture thanks to the publisher John H. Johnson , owner of the Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago.It was outfitted by a design team that included Arthur Elrod and William Raiser, both known for their adoration of Palm Springs decor. They used what were then state-of-the-art appliances like grills, mixers, a hidden toaster (!) a trash compactor and a refrigerator with an ice and water dispenser. It was almost lost to history when the publishing company closed its' doors in 2010 and sold the building to a Chicago developer. Luckily Landmark Illinois , a  preservation nonprofit was able to save the kitchen. The Museum of Food and Drink took temporary ownership and moved it to Manhattan where it was restored to all its former funky glory.

The kitchen was a try out for all sorts of new recipes thanks to its' innovative and well traveled editor Freda Deknight who first took over the job in 1946. Her articles "Date with A Dish" was laden with good recipes and pictures which spoke to Black home chefs with varying degrees of knowledge. Readers were encouraged also to submit family and beloved recipes as well, receiving a $25 prize and their recipe featured.After her passing in 1963 Charla L. Draper took over and doubled down on the recipes. Ms. Stewart has included three classics, One is stewed chicken and dumplings, which is cooking  chicken  in a Dutch oven  water bath. Celery and onions along with garlic, ground up chicken bouillon and paprika are added for more flavor and spice. The dumplings are the traditional ones , sweetened with sugar and spiked with parsley, A great side with are the honey glazed carrots, made with orange juice honey and butter, first steamed and then baked in the oven. The most beautiful and delicate looking recipe is the  Rose Petal Pudding,It's a cross between a bread pudding and a cake flavored with mace, rose water and lemon juice. The glaze is a mix of confectioners sugar, melted butter, seedless raspberry jam, mace and whole milk. It's decorated with rose petals and would be the perfect end to an Easter dinner or at a shower.

Ebony Magazine has always been at the forefront of trends and news. along with reporting on traditions. Its recipes were no different. They were a fine mix of the new and the classic with exciting dishes and desserts.