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Michael W. Twitty head shot - Epicurious

Michael W. Twitty

Cookbook author

Michael W. Twitty is an acclaimed culinary historian, and author of the two-times James Beard Award-winning book The Cooking Gene, as well as Rice and Koshersoul. He has written for many publications and been featured throughout print and broadcast media, including The Guardian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, PBS, and NPR’s The Splendid Table. He has given over 500 public talks and appeared in numerous series, including Taste the Nation and High on the Hog.

Mississippi Mud Cake

This cake was created from thrift and was supposedly named after its appearance, which reminded people of the muddy Mississippi River bottom.

Grape Dumplings

Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.

Apple and Honey Rice Kugel

Michael W. Twitty combines the best of custardy kugel with rich rice pudding of the American South for this take on the Rosh Hashanah classic.