Occasions to Savor: Our Meals, Menus, & Remembrances

The sisters of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority include some of America's most accomplished African-American women, but their festive volume feels more like a compilation of family recipes than it does a professional cookbook. Unafraid of building a meal around canned soups or vegetables, the sisters offer dozens of down-home ideas, several of which can be accomplished in half an hour or less. The recipes range from the extremely appealing (such as the rich, salty Fried Collard Greens) to the stomach-turning (Chicken Dip, which incorporates canned chicken, cream cheese and mayonnaise and possesses a goopy consistency). Several of the dishes qualify as sinful pleasures, like the Fried Catfish with Homemade Tartar Sauce or the rich Sour Cream Hash Browns. There's evident Southern flair--witness the three different varieties of corn pudding and myriad casseroles, gumbos and sugary sweet desserts. Unfortunately, few photographs highlight the recipes, and the undersized photos that are present don't always show off the dishes to their full advantage. Still, charming personal narratives are threaded throughout, along with loving profiles of Delta Sigma Thetas who have made their mark on the world (such as actress Ruby Dee and educator Carolyn Wilder, who founded three private schools). The sense of accomplishment and fun that permeates this cookbook makes it as much a joy to read as it is to cook from.