Princess Pamelas Soulfood cookbook

Princess Pamela's Soul Food Cookbook

 
Princess Pamela ruled a small realm, but her powers ranged far and wide. Her speakeasy-style restaurant in Manhattan was for three decades a hip salon, with regulars from Andy Warhol to Diana Ross. Her iconic Southern dishes influenced chefs nationwide, and her cookbook became a bible for a generation who yearned for the home cooking left behind in the Great Migration. One of the earliest books to coin soul food, this touchstone of African-American cuisine fell out of print more than forty years ago.
 
Pamela’s recipes have the clarity gained from a lifetime of practice—cardinal versions of Fried Chicken and Collard Greens, but also unusual gems like Pork Spoon Bread and Peanut Butter Biscuits—all peppered with sage advice on living and loving. Her book stands out for its joie de vivre and pathos as well as the skill of its techniques and is now available for cooks everywhere to re-create these soul-satisfying dishes at home.
 
“If you lived in New York on big dreams and no money, Princess Pamela’s was where you wanted to eat. Quirky and clubby (the Princess didn’t let everybody in), her Little Kitchen served cheap cuts—tripe, chitlins’, pig tails—and made them taste like food for angels. You felt lucky to be there.”
—Ruth Reichl, author of My Kitchen Year

Reviews:

"Based on the food she prepared in her 12-seat soul food restaurant in the 1960s, this book captures some of what is takes for a recipe to have soul. The book languished in obscurity until a recent revamp and re-release from The Lee Bros. that will introduce her words and culinary repertoire to new generations."
—Southern Living, The 100 Best Cookbooks of All Time

“As the culinary world reaches back to our past to understand where it's going, Princess's simple and authentically soulful recipes are more relevant than ever. Her quotes throughout the cookbook are so timeless—it's as if she's whispering pearls of wisdom directly into your ear.”
—Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s The Chew, chef of Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen

“Though it's been nearly fifty years since Princess Pamela was first published, this re-issue is right on time! Soul food is experiencing challenging times these days, and the Lee Brothers have picked one of my favorite cookbooks to remind us of the cuisine's glory days. Princess Pamela will please cooks with its timeless, urban, working-class recipes that are wonderfully paired with Pamela Strobel's folklore and humor. This cookbook is mouth watering and rib tickling!”
—Adrian Miller, Author of the James Beard Award–winning book Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time

 “Princess Pamela was not only an icon of New York, but one of the most influential restaurateurs to bring soul food to Manhattan from the South during the Great Migration. This cookbook is a bible for those looking to learn about the authentic experience—her poetic voice, southern hospitality, and wealth of knowledge come across so strongly on the page that you feel like you’re sitting in her downtown kitchen talking over over Smothered Chicken or Fried Salt Pork."
—Marcus Samuellson, chef of Red Rooster Harlem and author of  "The Soul of a New Cuisine"

About the author: Pamela Strobel was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and then came to New York to pursue her love of jazz. In 1965, Strobel opened her restaurant in the East Village, serving the soul food of her childhood while singing for guests alongside a band. 

• Author: Pamela Strobel
• hardcover
• Published: Feb 2017
• size: 5 x 8
• pages: 240