Black Pepper Visions: Original Food Stories You Can Eat (Revised)

Black pepper swirls that absorb anger, tortillas that mend broken-hearts, and sun-dried cookies that encircle a cheating spouse (again) are only three of 16 fast-paced stories in Black Pepper Visions: Original Folk Stories You Can Eat (Revised). This FolkHeart Press 2016 release, written by Karen Pierce Gonzalez, captures the magic of food through a range of original folktales and contemporary stories, food lore and personalized recipes.
“Complete with its culinary wizardry and fascinating historical roots that literally span centuries and continents, foodlore about how we grow, prepare, and eat our food allows us to creatively preserve important cultural traditions and beliefs. And these are what sustain and protect us,” said Gonzalez, a folklorist, journalist and author of several books including Family Folktales: What Are Yours? (FolkHeart Press).
Food lovers agree. “As a professional chef, I perceive food as an act of giving to others and sharing a part of myself. This can mean memories of food experiences I had as a child or while sailing and cooking around the world. The core, I think is learning, either personally or through another individual, the cultural history and family values behind each and every recipe I encounter. It is the foundation of food. Black Pepper Visions really solidifies these relationships with food for me through these wonderful tales,” said Chef Heidi West of Heidi West Catering.