Cooking Up Change
Grandma's Recipes from a Year in Black History
Published on 27. May 2025
Book
Hardback
40 pages
978-1-4197-7888-9 (ISBN)
Description
In Cooking Up Change—the eagerly awaited sequel to teen chef and food justice advocate Michael Platt’s Recipes for Change—Platt journeys through a year in Black history with a little help from his beloved grandmother as he retells 12 important historic events and shares a recipe inspired by each one
Cooking Up Change is both a celebration of Black history and an invitation to experience it through the lens of food. With biographies of figures who shaped important events and mouthwatering recipes that carry their essence, this book will inspire future leaders with real stories of trailblazers who helped to change the world.
One event per month is highlighted. After sharing the story of a person related to each event—such as Dorothy Height for International Women’s Day in March—Platt pairs each moment with a delectable recipe that carries the essence of the occasion. All the stories and recipes featured are inspired by his grandmother; the person who guided him in unearthing his Black heritage and moved him to fall in love with cooking.
Each page features engaging color illustrations from Alleanna Harris.
Recipes include:
Cooking Up Change is both a celebration of Black history and an invitation to experience it through the lens of food. With biographies of figures who shaped important events and mouthwatering recipes that carry their essence, this book will inspire future leaders with real stories of trailblazers who helped to change the world.
One event per month is highlighted. After sharing the story of a person related to each event—such as Dorothy Height for International Women’s Day in March—Platt pairs each moment with a delectable recipe that carries the essence of the occasion. All the stories and recipes featured are inspired by his grandmother; the person who guided him in unearthing his Black heritage and moved him to fall in love with cooking.
Each page features engaging color illustrations from Alleanna Harris.
Recipes include:
- Macaroni and cheese for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Key lime pie for Black History Month
- Deep dish peach cobbler for International Women’s Day
- Grilled fish for Jackie Robinson Day
- Molasses cookies for Memorial Day
- Red hibiscus drink for Juneteenth
- Apple pie for Independence Day
- Potato salad for the Great Migration
- Sweet potato pie for Labor Day
- Pork chops for Black Poetry Day
- Green gumbo for Election Day
- Coconut cake for Kwanzaa
Praise for Recipes for Change:
“Beautifully weaves together important Black history with delicious recipes.” —Kwame Onwuachi, James Beard Award winner and Top Chef contestant
More details
Persons
Michael Platt is a teen baker, social entrepreneur, and food justice advocate. He has been baking since he was nine years old but has been interested in racial inequality since he first learned about the historic March on Washington at the age of six. Platt began to ask questions about people being mistreated because of the color of their skin, and so set up a baking business in Maryland, Michael’s Desserts, with a one-for-one model. Platt appeared as one of the best kid bakers in the country in season 4 of Kids Baking Championship on the Food Network and has been covered by outlets such as CBS Mornings, Good Morning America, CNN, the Washington Post, People.com, Capital Gazette, WUSA9 news, Guideposts, the Rachael Ray Show, and more. Alleanna Harris is an illustrator and artist from New Jersey. She has been drawing for as long as she can remember, and after graduating from the University of Arts, began illustrating children’s books. Harris uses her platform to tell stories—ranging from influential Black figures to important Black history milestones—as a way to inspire readers. In her work, she seeks to create images that are immersive, rich in color, and have a sense of warmth.