Dolen Perkins-Valdez

May 12, 2024 | datebook.sfchronicle.com | Carvell Wallace |Dolen Perkins-Valdez

“Another Word for Love” by Carvell Wallace. Photo: MCD x FSGThe first thing you see when you open “Another Word for Love” is an arresting color photograph of a 7-year-old Carvell Wallace wearing a plaid shirt and sharp vest common among well-dressed kids in the 1970s. It is a poignant image to open this vulnerable memoir in which the author proclaims, “We are all children.” With 35 short essays, Oakland writer Wallace shares stories of his life in loose chronological order.

Sep 13, 2023 | bonappetit.com | Dolen Perkins-Valdez

This is All on the Table, a column featuring writers we love sharing stories of food, conflict, and community. Mama’s best friend was Anna Barbara Mitchell. As a child growing up in Memphis in the 1980s, I loved going with Mama to visit the Mitchells’ white brick house, its front gate decorated with musical notes. When you entered the door there was always the delicious aroma of something on the stove or in the oven. Anna Barbara loved to cook and she was known for her desserts.

Sep 13, 2023 | bonappetit.com | Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Total Time1 hour 45 minutesIn some parts of the American South, sweet potato pie is the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert. In others, pecan pie is de rigueur. This recipe mashes the two together with a custardy spiced sweet potato filling and glossy pecan topping. (Beat that, pumpkin pie.)The key is to purée the sweet potatoes just enough so that they retain a bit of texture—we’re not looking for baby food here.

Sep 13, 2023 | epicurious.com | John Yelinek |Dolen Perkins-Valdez |Kendra Vaculin |Shilpa Uskokovic

Years ago chef John Yelinek accidentally left a batch of sweet potatoes baking in the back of a hot oven. Now this is his favorite way of getting crispy, charred skins and custardy interiors. At Ladder 4 Wine Bar in Detroit, MI-one of our Best New Restaurants of 2023 -the soft sweet potatoes serve as a base for spiced seeds and heaps of cheese. At home, a moderate hour-long roast gets the job done (but if you happen to "forget" about them for another hour, all the better).

Sep 13, 2023 | epicurious.com | Dolen Perkins-Valdez |Rhoda Boone |Rick Tramonto |Gemma Stafford

In some parts of the American South, sweet potato pie is the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert. In others, pecan pie is de rigueur. This recipe mashes the two together with a custardy spiced sweet potato filling and glossy pecan topping. (Beat that, pumpkin pie.)The key is to purée the sweet potatoes just enough so that they retain a bit of texture-we're not looking for baby food here.