Between Harlem and Heaven ─ Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day

Between Harlem and Heaven showcases the Afro-Asian-American cuisine and the unique culinary creations of J.J. Johnson and Alexander Smalls, following the culinary trail of the African diaspora. This book branches far beyond "soul food" to explore the melding of Asian, African, and American flavors. The Afro Asian flavor profile of BETWEEN HARLEM AND HEAVEN is a window into the intersection of the Asian diaspora and the African diaspora. An homage to this cultural culinary path and the grievances and triumphs along the way, Between Harlem and Heaven isn’t fusion, but a glimpse into a cuisine that developed in the thick of Harlem's cultural renaissance.

Heritage food brings together everything we’ve developed a passion for: sustainability, farm to table, eat local, think global. The food in Between Harlem and Heaven is a modern take on heritage food. People are used to getting strong flavors in hidden hole-in-the wall spots. JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls bring those flavors and rich cultural history into your home kitchen with recipes for Grilled Watermelon Salad with Lime Mango Dressing and Cornbread Croutons, Feijoada with Black Beans and Spicy Lamb Sausage, Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Casserole with Rosemary and Caramelized Shallots, festive punches and flavorful easy sides, sauces, and marinades to incorporate into your everyday cooking life.

Complete with essays on the history of Minton’s Jazz Club, the melting pot that is Harlem, and the Afro-Asian flavor profile by bestselling coauthor Veronica Chambers, who just published the wildly successful YES, CHEF by Marcus Samuelsson, this cookbook brings the rich history of the Harlem food scene back to the home cook.

Alexander Smalls is a restaurateur and co-owner of thecelebrated Harlem jazz club Minton’s. As the former chef/ownerof Cafe Beulah, Sweet Ophelia's, Shoebox Cafe, and The Cecil, Smalls hasreceived great acclaim in the restaurant scene—including cooking at the JamesBeard House and being named one of Zagat’s 19 NYC Restaurant Power Players. Hismemoir and cookbook, Grace the Table, features recipes fromhis upbringing of Southern Revival cuisine. Smalls is also a world-renownedopera singer and the winner of both a Grammy and a Tony Award. He livesin Harlem, New York.

Joseph “JJ” Johnson is a James Beard-nominated chef. A graduate ofthe Culinary Institute of America, Johnson went on to hone his skills in someof New York’s most esteemed kitchens, including Centro Vinoteca, Jane, TribecaGrill, The Cecil, and Minton’s—and to cook in Ghana at the country’s leadingboutique hotel, Villa Monticello. He was named one of Rolling Stone’sten breakthrough rock star chefs in 2016, one of Zagat’s and Forbes’s 30 Under30, as well as Chef of the Year by New York African Restaurant Week. He livesin Harlem, New York.

Together, co-owner Alexander Smalls and Executive Chef J.J. Johnsonwon Esquire’s Best New Restaurant in America for theacclaimed Harlem restaurant The Cecil, which is now part of Minton’s.

Veronica Chambers is the bestselling coauthor of 32 Yolks withEric Ripert and Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson and thecritically acclaimed author of Mama’s Girl and TheMeaning of Michelle.