I began celebrating Juneteenth in the summer of 2020. Even though my parents are unapologetically Black, from Georgia and Virginia, and I spent a large chunk of my childhood in the South, observing the holiday was not part of my family’s traditions. Inspired by the call to consciousness amidst the George Floyd protests, I read about Juneteenth and learned that it began as a specific regional event in Galveston, Texas, to commemorate June 19, 1865. On that day, Union troops arrived to tell enslaved African Americans that the Civil War was over, Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier, and they could not be held captive. The enslaved people of Galveston were the last to learn about the end of slavery, and June 19 became a day of jubilee to celebrate their freedom. There are many grim elements to the era, such as Black codes that were in conflict with the notion of freedom, but I will focus on the joy of liberty.
Red drinks and food are key parts of the holiday—the importance of the color red for Juneteenth is linked to the West African plants hibiscus and kola nut. On my first Juneteenth I poured myself a crimson cocktail and went to a protest in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The next year for Juneteenth I went to Ode to Babel, a Black-owned lounge in Crown Heights to party with my friends, enjoy red cocktails, and listen to music. We were a big crowd spilling out from the walls of Babel, onto the sidewalk and into the street, dancing to Prince, Beyoncé, and “Swag Surfin’” until late that night.
With three years of celebrating under my belt, I decided my recipe for a joyful Juneteenth includes the following: learning something about the era that the holiday springs from (as Kimberly Drew suggested on her Instagram, google Black codes); gathering with people I love; attending or hosting a cookout, picnic, or party; and having a red drink.
In my upcoming book, For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food, I interview 66 Black women and femmes about their careers in food and many share recipes as part of their stories. One of the recipes that makes a great red drink for Juneteenth is the Hibiscus Elixir by Ardenia Brown, a stellar private chef based in Brooklyn. Brown explains, “This elixir can be a hot tea, a virgin drink with plenty of herbs and more spices with a sweetener, or just a healthy drink to support lowering your blood pressure. I love making the Hibiscus Elixir with my favorite bourbon and a simple syrup.”
For savory snacks, I recommend two other recipes in For the Culture: New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp, created by Zella Palmer, and Shrimp Cassava Balls by Anya Peters. Both are great for a crowd.
In For the Culture, I interviewed Nicole Taylor, author of the book Watermelon Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations, which is an excellent place to start to learn about Juneteenth. I asked Taylor what vibe someone new to celebrating Juneteenth should aim for. She responded: “My mantra is there’s more than one way to do Juneteenth. No one Juneteenth celebration or acknowledgment is the same. I know that the most important thing to do on Juneteenth (or whatever day you decide to honor the holiday) is to ground the holiday in exactly what it is. Say out loud that it was the day when Black Texans found out they were free more than two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. So that’s part one. Part two, I think the feeling should be fun. It should be celebratory. When I think about Juneteenth and Black celebrations, no matter what, no matter the inequities, no matter the sorrow, Black people have always celebrated. And that means music, colorful clothes, colorful people, and good food.”
Hibiscus Elixir by Ardenia Brown
Makes about 8 qt.
This is one of my favorite elixirs to make. Hibiscus flowers are so fragrant and beautiful, especially when coupled with the spices I use. Serve it as a hot tea, a blood-pressure-lowering elixir, a virgin drink, or a cocktail with bourbon and simple syrup or just with seltzer. You can buy hibiscus flowers online.
4 cups hibiscus flowers
2 navel oranges, quartered
8 cardamom seeds, crushed
4 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 finger-length piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 slice lime
Plenty of fresh herbs such as mint or lemon verbena
1 cup honey or monk fruit sweetener (optional)
Combine the hibiscus, oranges, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, lime, and herbs in a large pot with 8 qt. water. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until oranges are very soft. Turn off the flame and let the mixture steep for 20 minutes.
Strain elixir into a large container, discarding solids. Stir in sweetener if desired. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 month.
Shrimp Cassava Balls by Anya Peters
Makes 4
Throughout the Caribbean, rum shops are everywhere, and many serve finger foods known as cutters or cuttas. This rum shop cuttas is inspired by the classic Guyanese egg ball with seasoned cassava and Creole stew shrimp. The cassava ball mixture can be prepared two days in advance and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before coating and frying.
Salt
2 large cassavas (yuca root), or frozen yuca
2 tomatoes, diced, divided
8 garlic cloves, minced, divided
8 sprigs thyme, stripped, divided
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced, divided
Neutral oil for frying (such as canola or grapeseed)
1/2 Scotch bonnet chile, seeded and minced
1 cup white wine
1 lb. shrimp, cleaned and cut into pieces
1 Tbsp. butter
Juice of 1 lime
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cassava flour
Pickled red onions and your favorite hot sauce for serving
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 Tbsp. salt. Peel and cut yuca into 3” pieces if using fresh, and add to the boiling water. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cassava is easy to pierce with a knife. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
Cut each cassava piece in half and discard the tough, starchy vein in the middle. Return it to the pot and add half of the tomato, garlic, thyme, and scallion, along with 2 Tbsp. water. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cassava is completely tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Heat a little oil in a saucepan on medium heat and sauté the remaining tomato, garlic, thyme, and scallion and the Scotch bonnet chile a few minutes, until fragrant. Add the wine and let the mixture reduce by half. Add the shrimp and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until cooked and pink. Add the butter to the pan, and take it off the heat, sprinkle with fresh lime juice.
Coarsely mash the cooked cassava mixture. Stir in the cooked shrimp and sauce. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust the seasoning to taste, and let cool for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, heat 2” of oil in a Dutch oven or deep, heavy skillet over medium heat. Set up a breading station with cassava flour in a plate, oil for replenishing the pan, a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and another one lined with paper towels.
Oil your hands to prevent sticking. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the cassava shrimp mixture, and roll it into balls. Coat the balls in cassava flour, and place them on the parchment-lined pan.
Working in batches, fry the cassava balls until golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side, and drain on paper towels. Serve warm with pickled red onions and hot sauce.
New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp By Zella Palmer
Makes 20 servings
New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp are not actually barbecued or doused in barbecue sauce—they’re simply sautéed in a generous amount of butter and spices. Apparently, long ago a Chicago businessman raved about the barbecue shrimp he had eaten in New Orleans. But it was more likely that he was referring to shrimp at Pascal’s Manale, which was and is famous for its BBQ shrimp (though many restaurants in New Orleans prepare the same dish).
6 lb. jumbo shrimp (preferably Louisiana)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. Creole seasoning
1 tsp. crab boil
2 lemons, cut into wedges
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
French bread, for serving
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Rinse any grit off the shrimp, leaving heads and tails on.
In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the rosemary, brown sugar, paprika, Creole seasoning, and crab boil.
Add the shrimp and cook it, basting constantly with the seasoned butter, just until it turns completely pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven for 8 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Squeeze a little lemon over the cooked shrimp, and garnish it with the parsley. Serve immediately with French bread and the remaining lemon wedges.
Excerpted from the book For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food: Interviews, Inspiration, and Recipes by Klancy Miller. Copyright © 2023 by Klancy Miller. Photography © 2023 by Kelly Marshall. From Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.