The Diversity Debate

There’s been a lot of discussion about the lack of diversity in art. In my world this pertains to books specifically. The discussion has risen and will not be curbing any time soon thanks to We Need Diverse Books^TM and also other entities focusing specifically on bringing more attention to diversity in books--meaning that there should and could be more non-majority main characters (not sidekicks) as well as more diverse writers. Last week Publishers Weekly revealed their 2014 salary survey for the publishing industry that included the option for those who participated to note their race. The results were staggering. Not only in the fact that many people approached did not respond but that of the several hundred who did the reflection of people of color was under 10% total, which seemed to set the online world on fire.

My friend Bev Rivero and I created the podcast Minorities in Publishing (MiP) because with our 20+ years in publishing we had always felt the lack of diversity in publishing. Working in it you cannot help but see it and it’s interesting to me that once the numbers were represented, be it a small portion of those approached in the industry, that more awareness came to light about why there may not be more diverse books being acquired, promoted, and sold. If there aren’t enough people of color (POC), LGBTQI, or disabled helping on the back end of bringing these books into a publishing house, developing a plan, and going on to find readers for this type of material (those without a true understanding of what it may be to be of the non-majority) how can we expect anyone to best stand by these books (and writers) to make work for a larger audience?

Being a team member of We Need Diverse Books^TM, co-creator of MiP, and also a female writer of color I have an investment not only for others in this industry and seeking to be a part of the industry but for myself as an emerging artist. Getting more minorities involved can be beneficial to those of us struggling to tell and sell our stories and if more diversity and representation matches the world we live in why can it not also be reflected this way in art? It’s a long and ongoing discussion with many sides and perspectives. The truth of the matter is there is a lack of diversity and for those who may not see it or may want to brush the lack of diversity off as being because there's not enough “good candidates” or “good material” is a very narrow way to look at it. The onus can’t be only on the person creating or applying. Affirmative action is not meant to get unqualified candidates a job and the request for equality is not intended to inhibit one group over another.

The diversity debate isn’t so much a debate but more a request for others who hadn’t noticed the disparity to take a moment and see what others do. How many books with POCs, LGBTQI, and/or disabled characters in a primary role are on bookshelves? How many are on best-seller lists? How many are reviewed in the outlets that still do review books? How many stories by and about minorities are publishing in literary magazines? How many are promoted outside of the one aspect of it being diverse and not so much attempted to find a broader fan base but focus on the issue of race, sexuality, and/or disability without looking at the person as able to carry a story for them being them?

The “debate” isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Because of so many advocates and allies and resources available there cannot be any further room for the discussion to be considered moot. It’s not simple to dismiss and it may not even be easy to rectify in the long run either. The addition of more diverse materials still need to be quality materials and applicants for publishing job should be qualified. Yet, there’s no doubt that on both sides this is available and perhaps needs the nurturing that it is not getting. “People want to see themselves in books” has been quoted many times over and will continue to be said. We want to see ourselves in what we read and watch, and we want to see ourselves as not “other” but as part of the norm.

I'd Like to Introduce: @MinoritiesinPub (MiP)!

Well, this is a venture that grew out of friendly talk and then became a running joke of us doing a podcast about being minorities in publishing in the Whole Foods cheese section (we note our love of Whole Foods in our first episode) and then this niggling idea became "Hey why the hell not do this?" And when I mentioned it offhand to others or friends saw our "mock" tweets some said, "I'd listen to that if you did a podcast!" True story.

My friend and former co-worker Bev and I often discuss the lack of minorities in publishing as two people of color (POC) in publishing and said "We should do a podcast." Thinking on it more I reached out to Bev and said, "We really should do one" and she agreed.

And with that we started meeting. Talking logistics. Doing research on podcasts. Getting links with more links embedded in additional links noting what newbie podcasters should know. I made the logo with Bev's input (see above). And we kept thinking and meeting regularly and meeting tasks while assigning more tasks and it is now a real thing! How exciting is that?!

Bev is ON IT. She gets stuff done, which is how I knew I wanted to work with her and this podcast would be a reality, and not just an idea we spoke of for several months to a year and maybe got around to doing some research on but it wouldn't come to fruition.

And thus we have Minorities in Publishing (MiP)!

Bev and I recorded our first episode on Tuesday and it's available here on our Tumblr here.

I was a bit late to the game in terms of submitting it to iTunes but once we get the formal approval you'll be able to find it there as well.

In our first episode we discussed our backgrounds in the industry (over 20 years experience!) and reasoning for our podcast as well as what you can expect to hear in future podcasts, specifically interviews with publishing professionals on how publishing can be more inclusive in terms of diversity in publishing. And we do a mini bookclub for Roxane Gay's debut novel An Untamed State from Grove Atlantic.

We hope you'll listen, enjoy, share, chime in, contact us, visit our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter (@minoritiesinpub), and if anything support diversity in the arts and pursue it as a minority and/or advocate!

A Celebration of "Fried & True" at Ginny's Supperclub

On June 24th, a tinted and lavish Ginny's Supper Club, under the often bustling Red Rooster in Harlem, hosted a launch to the public and local press for Fried & True: 50 Recipes for America's Best Fried Chicken and Sides compiled by Lee Brian Schrager (with Adeena Sussman). Fried & True features about 100 recipes from chefs/restaurateurs/cooks around the country offering their take on fried chicken in addition to side pairings reflecting the variations of what people of different backgrounds think of when it comes to a historic dish that is steadily becoming part of the "new wave" of food trends.

Fried & True's origins stem from Lee's complete and utter love of fried chicken. Growing up on Long Island it was a staple meal in his home and also a treat purchased and delivered when his parents went out. In the Introduction Lee states that he often orders fried chicken whenever he's out rather than making it himself to taste what others have to offer and how they reflect a change in the perceived tried and true way to make this American classic. Lee's involvement and background in so many aspects of the culinary world, including being the founder of the NY Food & Wine Festival and Food Network South Beach Wine & Food festival, make him a huge name in the industry and someone with an enviable palate.

Fried & True now out from Clarkson Potter

Three NYC based chefs were featured at the Fried & True celebration, as were their contributions to the book for the evening's menu. Marcus Samuelsson (owner and chef of Red Rooster) who not only greeted attendees but was also working, Elizabeth Karmel of Hill Country BBQ & Hill Country Chicken, and Harlem native with Southern roots Charles Gabriel whose restaurant Charles' Country Pan Fried Chicken was lauded by Lee and Marcus as being the best fried chicken in Harlem, let alone New York City.

Guests received a copy of the book along with tote bags from sponsor Mastercard. But the only way to get a real sense of Fried & True was in the food itself. Attendees got to try recipes from Samuelsson including his coconut fried chicken on a bed of shredded bok choy claw with toasted peanuts, pickled jalapeno, and fried chickpeas; in addition to Elizabeth Karmel's garlic cheese grits with candied country ham and Charles Gabriel's candied yams.

Each dish was brought out family style and there were mutterings/requests for more. Karmel, mouth full, complimented Gabriel on his candied yams (simple with only a handful of ingredients; "a staple to real Southern cooking," he insisted). And Gabriel became a fan of Karmel's garlic cheese grits with ham bits sweetened with a crust of granulated and dark brown sugar. Samuelsson's chicken had a kick as did the bok choy slaw that reflected his signature style of a twist on an American classic while adding in bits of Samuelsson's African and European roots.

Brooklyn ice cream shop Ample Hills Creamery provided scoops of their popular flavors salted crack caramel and sweet as honey ice cream with toppings for dessert while guests enjoyed music from local artist Farrah Burns and her band.

Fried & True is split up into four sections: Southern Inspiration; American Originals; Pacific Rim Flavors; and Sandwiches, Wings, L'il Bites, and Special Diets. Some of the more heavily reflected regions for the recipes featured include the East coast (New York City has prominent coverage), the South(east), California, parts of the Midwest such as Chicago, and even Portland, OR.

Charles Gabriel being of South Carolina roots and having cooked with his mother at a very young age brings his wisdom and flavors to Harlem not just at his own shop but having been a chef at Copeland's in Harlem for a couple decades. He may be one of the few, if only, true Southern contemporaries bringing good ole down home fried chicken in a big ole cast iron (yes, you will need a cast iron as Fried & True notes in Fried Chicken 101) to make his chicken oh so crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Karmel's recipes also fit into Southern Inspiration and Samuelsson's contributions land in the American Originals section.

While Marcus Samuelsson may be considered the hot name and grand orator, Gabriel received the spotlight that evening and was someone anyone who hadn't know him before wanted to know. Lee said he absolutely had to have Gabriel's recipes in this book. Marcus echoed that when he first visited Harlem in preparation for his own restaurant that he was informed that he had to go to Charles' Country Pan Fried Chicken on 150th and Frederick Douglass, get some chicken, and then head to Marcus Garvey Park to watch the residents play ball. To him, the combination of watching local ballers and eating Gabriel's chicken culminated in the perfect Sunday.

Gabriel is a tall, shy man with dark skin and a great smile. Once he talks about chicken, about cooking, he opens up, more extroverted and more animated in his talk about enjoying what he does and waking up early and going to bed late. Even after this event he was going straight to his restaurant to prep for the next day and was very much looking forward to closing up for a week to enjoy a vacation and cruise with his family. Gabriel was stopped, repeatedly, during conversation by those wanting his autograph, wanting to know where his shop was exactly, and saying that they'd be back to Harlem going further north this time around and, even with full bellies, were excited to try his food. This made Gabriel grin even wider, surprised and humbled by the celebrity thrust upon him that evening.

Fried & True brings attention to the hot spots and the smaller spots. It even brought "low-key fried chicken lovers out of the woodwork" where the unifier is good, comfort food that is recognizable to many from their childhood. Like Lee says, fried chicken is becoming part of the American "culinary canon" and this celebration of Fried & True's release may be just the resurgence fried chicken and the places that serve it needed.

International Chocolate Awards (Americas)

Saying "Americas" makes it seem all fancy like Iron Chef. And in a way, the International Chocolate Awards (ICA) are a bit like Iron Chef. The best of the best within the country vying for a high prize to make it to the next round where the International Awards will take place. Chocolatiers from Spain and Italy and Canada and the UK coming to NYC just to munch and taste what the city has to offer, in the name of Chocolate. Yup, sounds official to me.

As a food blogger I was able to judge one of the preliminary rounds of the International Chocolate Awards at the end of June. After the main series of judging was done those that placed went on to the Grand Jury round and those in the Grand Jury spent the weekend before our Independence Day deciding which chocolates would make the cut in their categories.

I can't get into the specifics of judging and I can't tell you what I tasted as all entrants were anonymous to us so we judged on taste and location alone. What I can say is that this is a particularly interesting type of judging. I always wondered what judges were thinking when they sat down and tasted a variety of items. And how they cleaned their palate in preparation for the next bit or dish. And to experience that within 90 minutes for chocolate, dark, milk, and spreads, was fun and enlightening.

One of the most important things is to ensure that your palate can be distinct for each item and flavors from one aren't interfering with how you judge something else. Especially if the darkest of chocolates, we're talking 00% chocolate, has a chalky taste because there's NO sugar whatsoever. You have to take it in stride. But, like one of the Grand Jury members--one was stationed at each table to help guide us newer judges through the round--just because it's different doesn't mean it's good. So, if you haven't tasted 10% chocolate doesn't mean you'll like it but don't discount it because it's not sweet. You're judging chocolate for things outside of being sweet in something like the ICA and you have to consider a lot of things. Just like on Iron Chef or in any competition. I've done Takedowns I know the criteria. And I love food. And it's not all about taste. It's about construction and smell and texture as well as flavors. And yes, flavors, plural. As in all the ingredients within it should help to make a unified taste that does not disturb or distract.

Chocolate making is hard stuff. As is spread making. So much can go wrong. And as Jackie, a fellow judge, told me "chocolate is fussy." It can't be too cold, it can't be too hot it needs to be perfect. Tempering it requires patience and perhaps a cool machine to help. So everyone who made chocolate going into the categories of dark bars, milk bars, white bars, flavoured bars, spreads, and filled chocolates each has it's own unique listings for what you are looking for and all the while you are continually testing and cleansing your palate to judge a bit more.

It was a great experience. Held at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) this year in Chelsea the space was gorgeous, the weather a bit humid but not gross, the staff and organizers extremely friendly, and fellow judges really serious but cool about the whole thing made it a great time.

The grand jury finalists for the Americas were announced last week on the ICA site. And they will move on to the larger competition to be held in September.

So, that's my gist for the ICAs. A great time and fun to participate to acknowledge the hard work of chocolatiers on a worldwide stage. Keep updated on who wins on the International Chocolate Awards site and stay tuned for next year!

CookOut NYC - June 8th Edition

Governor's Island is a great place for a picnic, and a cookout. This past weekend CookOut NYC was held at Governor's Island and provided lots of food, drink, and music for attendees after the July 4th holiday. Like 5 Boro Picnyc, CookOut NYC was publicized by Food Karma Projects and had many vendors available like Jimmy's No. 43, Alobar, and Madria Sangria along with various types of beer including Six Point Brewery and Blind Tiger Ale House to name a few.

The ferry unloaded patrons of seeking to get in some NYC history, a nice bike ride without the worry of traffic (namely cabbies), take families to enjoy the graphic design museum and do workshops, or just lay back and enjoy the sights surrounding the Hudson River.

What I've enjoyed about the environment at the Food Karma events has been the laid back atmosphere. No pushing or shoving. People standing quietly in line for food. A nice camaraderie with the crowd and vendors, learning more about local vendors, and good eats all around.

Upon entering you'll be greeted by staff offering you a Whole Food's monikered beer coozy. KIND Bars and Popchips (two snacks I relish, no pun intended) gave away free goods to patrons. I was excited to see new flavors from both including the Sweet Potato Popchip and the Madagascar Vanilla Almond and Cashew & Ginger Spice KIND Bars.

On Saturday there was a kimchi eating contest for Mama O's Premium Kimchi. And Mama O's remained smack dab in the center of the green on Sunday offering samples of his goods along with spicy tacos including his spicy kimchi. For the man who won the competition (having eaten over 2 jars of the spicy blend) I hope he has health insurance. Tasting just a tad of this kimchi (containing the ghost pepper, the hottest pepper known to man) I am pretty sure it burned a hole through my esophagus to the point I couldn't properly enjoy the bulgogi within the taco. Spraying the lime didn't help. But I'm sure it's good nonetheless. There were varieties of kimchi laid out for the crowd and I think I found a new favorite with the Oi version.

Having learned some of Kheedim's secrets of making Mama O's Premium Kimchi (his mom was also at CookOut NYC!) there's a nice balance and variety in the kimchi he offers and a dedication in the way he makes it wanting to spread more knowledge about it and share his Korean heritage.

Sunday had a best burger and best hot dog contest going on between booths. Attendees could vote by writing their support on the booth's oaktag what they thought of their hot dogs and/or burgers.

Spicy was the theme of CookOut NYC it seemed. Spicy mustard at the My Friend's Mustard booth. Bison burger with caramelized onions and spicy mayo from Alobar. The spicy kimchi eating competition and tacos I mentioned earlier (which you could also have gotten extra spicy, wowza). There was also a race to the finish for the best spicy hot dog using Sabrett's Hot & Spicy hot dogs with jalapeno (spicy but not overly so that my mouth couldn't enjoy the merge of flavors). My personal fave was Rich Pinto's Catering which also happened to be the first I tried. They also offered some cold and tangy potato salad that was a great contrast to the hot hot dog. I do hope they won a nice prize.

"Wanna slap my cajun ass?" a high-spirited man at The Penthouse Boys booth asked me.

"Sure!" I responded. I received a dollop of sauce atop a piece of chicken and sausage, both seared and blackened Cajun style.

"Wanna slap my cajun ass?" he asked another patron.

The man behind me looked cautious and confused at first, after deciphering the message he agreed taking a sample of what they had to offer.

Slap My Cajun Ass sauce is noted as being "blissfully hot." But even for a wimp like me it was pretty tame. Tasty, but tame.

Of course there were pallet cleansers and items available once you were done (or at least taking a break) from meat. Brooklyn Grange was welcome with fresh from the rooftop farm with greens and vinaigarette. Meal KU (homemade meal cooperative) also had freshly made ingredients for their watermelon cucumber salad. Meal KU allows for members to post pictures of food for others to order.

On the dessert end I was very happy to see Melt Bakery there! I was introduced to Melt Bakery a couple of years ago at the Hester Street Fair. Their staple is ice cream sandwiches, but I tried their deep fried pumpkin pie made me a convert and it was the first thing I asked when I saw Julian Plyter. He said that they'll have the deep fried apple pie once a year (sad) but also informed me Melt Bakery's storefront recently opened and that they are also available at the Highline (super happy).

My friend Lesley had the classic (chocolate chip walnut cookie and vanilla ice cream) and was in love. It's a good portion for an ice cream sandwich and very tasty. Even after a few burgers and hot dogs Lesley considered getting another one. After setting my mouth on fire with spicy kimchi I was glad to enjoy the lovelet (red velvet cookie with cream cheese ice cream) to soothe my mouth and enjoy on a hot and humid day.

Other desserts available were the Van Leeuwen truck and Wooly's Shaved Ice.

CookOut NYC isn't just about lounging in the sun, but also learning about local businesses and where their items (namely condiments) are available in the NYC area. Every business wants to make a name for itself and fairs like this are the best place to start providing attendees the opportunity to try something new and potentially gain a new favorite food and restaurant in the process. I'm always glad for the chance to get to know more about the eateries in NYC and to try what they have to offer and spread the word.

Many thanks to Food Karma Projects, and Sebastian Cervantes for connecting the food blogger community with the CookOut NYC event; to Food Karma Projects founder Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy's No. 43 for hosting the press party for this event; to Jackie Gordon for keeping the tri-state food bloggers in the loop; and to Kheedim Oh for teaching us food bloggers the secrets (well, some of them) of his kimchi at the CookOut NYC press party.