No. 007 : California Soul
A beautiful celebration of black food culture in California
8 things I’m obsessed with in California Soul
Tanya Herself
California Soul was my introduction to
. Gifted her cookbook for Christmas a couple years ago, I actually avoided cracking its pages for a few months (something I do when I know I’m going to love something so much its almost painful). Once I did open it, I found myself so moved by it that I was crying by the introduction. (What can I say, I am truly a sucker for well crafted creative expression.) Besides the book itself, I also fell in love with its author. Her authenticity, love for food and life jumps off the page. And something that truly inspired me about Tanya is her book is not just about her, it is a celebration of black history and community and through her work she shines her light on others.
Delicious Locally Driven Recipes
Tanya is the real deal. The chef behind Brown Sugar Kitchen, her recipes are “influenced by the Great Migration of African American families, including Tanya’s own”. They are inventive, flavorful and driven by local California ingredients. Her Brentwood Corn and Bellwether Ricotta Hushpuppies, for example, call for a corn varietal grown in the Sacramento River Delta (and as I grew up eating it I can attest that it really is the sweetest) as well as ricotta from Bellwether, a family run farm in Petaluma. I love the celebration of food and its makers that this shows, but if you don’t have access to them, the recipes are delicious made without these local ingredients too. Making her Rice-Flour-Fried Chicken Paillards recently might have sealed the deal as my best attempt at fried chicken yet! So crispy and zingy, and gluten free to boot! Her Dirty Potato Salad with All the Peppers and Onions may be my only potato salad from now on. And I’m enjoying a pillowy just the right amount of sweet Buttermilk Muffin with Cinnamon Cardamom Streusel as I write this. Delicious.
Stories of Black California Food Producers
Throughout the book Tanya creates space to celebrate California based Black-owned businesses through beautiful Maker Profiles. Sam Cobb of his self named date farm in Desert Hot Springs, shares his story about falling in love with farming as a kid and then studying agriculture all through high school and college to live his dream and ultimately finding his love in farming dates. There are profiles of youth urban farm projects, BBQ sauce makers, coffee roasters, beer brewers, and farmers serving their communities all over California. Each one is inspiring.
Stunning Photography
The images in this book glow with California light. Photographer Aubrie Pick, in collaboration with Prop Stylist Claire Mack, and Food Stylist Carrie Purcell, created photos that feel golden and alive. You can practically smell the fresh produce and feel the breeze coming off the Pacific. Each image feels lovingly lit and full of heart — they aren’t just documenting the food, they’re telling a story.
Vibrant Colorful Design Choices
Every page in this book is another rich color. In a sea of cookbooks with expansive white pages, it feels fresh and unique and gives a texture that reflects the landscape and people it’s celebrating. There’s warmth in every design choice made by Designer Sebit Min and Art Director Emma Campion - from the saturated backgrounds to the classic typography - that makes the book feel as rich and layered as the recipes themselves.
Seasonal Recipe Sections
You all know I am a sucker for a seasonal structure - and this one is so well done! Organizing the book by California’s seasons invites you to slow down and cook with what’s freshest. Whether it’s citrus in winter or sweet corn in summer, it invites you to fall in love with ingredients at their peak.
Illuminating Historical Detours
Inset throughout the cookbook are stories of the history of the African diaspora in California, and the influence of Black farmers, chefs, and culinary traditions. These aren’t just side notes, they’re integral to the soul of the book. Tanya Holland shines a light on people and places whose stories often go untold in traditional food media, and reading them adds such depth to the cooking.
Celebration of California
I am a California baby, born and raised. And this book feels like home. From the coastline to the Central Valley, the diversity of ingredients, people, and cultures represented is breathtaking. Tanya honors the land, the farmers, the history, and the present in every recipe and every story. You can taste the sunshine, the creativity, and the love for this state in every bite.
Tanya Holland's California Soul: Recipes from a Culinary Journey West is by Tanya Holland
You can find more about
on as well as her website, her instagram and at her restaurant Brown Sugar Kitchen.CLUB CHAT
What recipe from California Soul did you try first — and what drew you to it?
What were you most inspired by in any of the historical or cultural notes that stayed with you?
What do you love about cooking seasonally — or what challenges you about it?