TAMPA, Fla. — The city of Tampa held an event Monday morning to announce the launch of the Soulwalk Community Cookbook — and they're in search of recipes, too.
Well-known local chefs teamed up at the Epicurean Kitchen Theatre for a cooking demonstration of Black cuisine while also giving a taste of soul food, a news release explains.
“One of the things I think of when I think about food and one of the elements of it is power,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said at the event. “Also, one of the things that food allows us to do is to share our history and our culture.”
This newest launch of the Soulwalk Community Cookbook will illustrate the journey of the Black community in Tampa while also organizing family recipes into "one cohesive keepsake."
People are asked to submit recipes, snippets of memories and profiles of businesses and people in the community that have made an impact in the local Black community. Anyone interested in sending in a recipe can do so by clicking here.
“One of the things that we would like to do is to bring those recipes together from throughout our community," the mayor said. “Those recipes that describe different cultures, that describe the history of our community, and that can be shared as a gift of love from different individuals and different families.”
This cookbook is the latest initiative of Soulwalk, first launched by Castor earlier this year. The art and heritage trail connects Tampa's historic sites while also telling stories of local Black communities.
The Soulwalk spans around 46 miles and throughout 25 neighborhoods — including almost 100 stops that people can explore.
“It’s a very exciting addition to our history that will teach so many local residents and visitors about all the things that have made Tampa great and of some of the mistakes that we have made in the past because if we don’t learn from our mistakes, then we are bound to repeat those," Castor said.
For more information on the Tampa Soulwalk, visit https://www.tampa.gov/soulwalk or reach out to the city of Tampa's Arts & Cultural Affairs Division at Melissa.Davies@tampagov.net or Robin.Nigh@tampagov.net.