Feed the Resistance: Recipes and Ideas for Getting Involved

While attending an immigration rights meeting with her wife, author Turshen (The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook) had an epiphany: “complacence was no longer a luxury any of us could afford” given the current political climate. Inspired, she reached out to fellow cooks and authors and assembled this short and spotty guide of recipes and tips to fuel social activism. Citizen Action’s Callie Jayne’s essay on organized activism is terrific and sure to inspire, but food writer Tunde Wey’s effort at tying sex to food falls flat. The food is a similar mishmash of styles and approaches. Turshen includes recipes to feed an army at meetings (Thai yellow curry vegetable pot), highlight specific causes (Manoomin elk meatballs), pack for marches (baked oatmeal and apple squares), or simply show off one’s culinary skills (the 33-ingredient Brazilian fish pot pie). Some recipes, like the labor- and time-intensive mushroom gumbo in a dark roux (contributed by Bryant Terry, chef at the Museum of African Diaspora), raise the question of whether such a dish is the best use of an activist’s time. The book’s heart is clearly in the right place, but it would have benefitted from more time in the oven. (Oct.)