Juneteenth with BEM and Nicole A. Taylor
Raise a glass of red drink to freedom and community with BEM and Nicole A. Taylor, author of Watermelon & Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations
We're gathering in the spirit of Juneteenth!
In the courtyard of the beautiful Akwaaba Mansion in Bed-Stuy, enjoy a menu inspired by the recipes in Watermelon & Red Birds, a book that both reveres classic African-American cookout fare and reflects Nicole's inventive recipe development that's been featured in the New York Times, Food & Wine and Bon Appétit among countless other publications. An exclusive Juneteenth mix by Quinnette will provide the soundtrack for the evening, and activations celebrating the history, traditions, and cuisine of the holiday will provide a feast for all your senses.
"[Watermelon & Red Birds] is a testament to where we are now. It’s an attempt to synthesize all the places we’ve been, all the people we have come from, all the people we have become, and all the culinary ideas we have embraced. It’s an attempt to fashion a Juneteenth celebration for the twenty-first century."
And we'll do just that on the 22nd! BEM is thrilled to join in Nicole's long-standing tradition of annual Juneteenth celebrations, shaped by a love for Black food, history, and above all, people. Whether you've been celebrating Juneteenth with your family for as long as you can remember or you're newer to the holiday, we invite you to our welcome table. So put on your summer finery and join us for a special evening celebrating the joy of being together.
What to expect
Your ticket includes beautiful food, a welcome beverage, and a whole lot of good company. Additional beverages will be available for purchase.
Menu
Catfish Sliders
Mini Shrimp Po’Boys
Peach Molasses Wings
Southern-Ish Potato Salad
Carrot and Mustard Flower Salad
Summer Pea Green Beans & Corn Salad
Maroon Margarita
Watermelon Ginger Beer (na)
For dessert, we collaborated with our friends at Sugar Hill Creamery to bring you a special ice cream flavor inspired by Watermelon & Red Birds! Their flavor experts cooked down strawberry, sumac, and a hint of almond extra, blended it with their classic ice cream base, piped in a strawberry sumac gelée, and folded in small cubes of cornmeal cake for the perfect taste of summer and liberation. Join us and enjoy.
General Order No. 3 | Strawberry Sumac Ice Cream (n)
Pon De Replay | Toasted Coconut Vegan Ice Cream (v) (gf)
Sweet Socialism | Dark Chocolate Sorbet (v)
Book Bags
We're pleased to offer two curated Book Bags for you to take the experience home with you in a limited edition Juneteenth 2024 tote. Read more below and make your selection at checkout. All Book Bags will be available for pick-up at the event.
1 ] A Juneteenth Book Bag
Watermelon & Red Birds: A Cookbook For Juneteenth and Black Celebrations by Nicole A. Taylor
On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed
The Juneteenth Cookbook: Recipes and Activities for Kids and Families to Celebrate by Alliah L. Agostini with Chef Taffy Elrod
2 ] Summer Reading & Eating Book Bag
I'll Bring Dessert: Simple, Sweet Recipes for Every Occasion by Benjamina Ebuehi
Fat Ham by James Ijames
Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest by Fawn Weaver
More about Watermelon & Red Birds
The very first cookbook to celebrate Juneteenth, from food writer and cookbook author Nicole A. Taylor--who draws on her decade of experiences observing the holiday.
On June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and issued General Order Number 3, informing the people of Texas that all enslaved people were now free. A year later, in 1866, Black Texans congregated with music, dance, and BBQs--Juneteenth celebrations.
All-day cook-outs with artful salads, bounteous dessert spreads, and raised glasses of "red drink" are essential to Juneteenth gatherings. In Watermelon and Red Birds, Nicole puts jubilation on the main stage. As a master storyteller and cook, she bridges the traditional African-American table and 21st-century flavors in stories and recipes. Nicole synthesizes all the places we've been, all the people we have come from, all the people we have become, and all the culinary ideas we have embraced.
Watermelon and Red Birds contains over 75 recipes, including drinks like Afro Egg Cream and Marigold Gin Sour, dishes like Beef Ribs with Fermented Harissa Sauce, Peach Jam and Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs, Southern-ish Potato Salad and Cantaloupe and Feta Salad, and desserts like Roasted Nectarine Sundae, and Radish and Ginger Pound Cake. Taylor also provides a resource to guide readers to BIPOC-owned hot sauces, jams, spice, and waffle mixes companies and lists fun gadgets to make your Juneteenth special. These recipes and essays will inspire parties to salute one of the most important American holidays, and moments to savor joy all year round.
More about the participants
A James Beard Award-nominated food writer, home cook, and producer, Nicole A. Taylor is the author of Watermelon & Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations, the very first cookbook to celebrate Juneteenth. In addition to her other cookbooks, The Up South Cookbook, and The Last O.G. Cookbook, Nicole has written for Resy, FoodPrint, Bon Appétit, the New York Times, and Food & Wine. Nicole has been featured in the LATimes, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, Apple, and Oxford American and on BET, TODAY and NBC News. Brooklyn Magazine named Taylor to its list of 100 influential people in Brooklyn culture, and her cookbooks have graced more than two dozen "best" lists.
Host of the radio show "Truth Be Told,” and Soul Purpose, Quinnette is committed to unique soulful mixes and has developed a global listening community. Quinnette has spun alongside DJ Reborn, Natasha Diggs, DJ Spinna, and the legendary Mobile Mondays Crew, and is also an audio engineer and educator who uses music and technology to empower youth. Full service and smooth with it, she can rock the park or groove the club.
About BEM | books & more
BEM | books & more is a literary destination at the intersection of all things Black, culinary, and literary. Established by two sisters in January 2021 as an online bookstore, we are proud to serve as a home for readers, writers, cooks, and eaters passionate about Black cultures in all their diversity. Taking an expansive approach to the nexus of food, literature, and culture, BEM celebrates Black food by bringing works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry for readers of all ages into conversation with cookbooks and culinary studies to explore how what feeds us defines us.
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