BRYANT TERRY, 34. Author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen and the forthcoming cookbook Vegan Soul Kitchen; cohost of PBS's Endless Feast. Currently working on the Southern Organic Kitchen Project through a Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellowship. Shot on location at Farmer Brown in the Tenderloin by Anön.
Born in Memphis, Bryant Terry grew up around good food. "My grandfather was always cooking. I'd like to think the men in my family were more experimental. That certainly influenced me," he says of the impetus to write a vegan soul-food cookbook with recipes such as watermelon with basil sea salt. "I was a bit hesitant about the word vegan," he admits. "It evokes granola, fake meat. I like to think that I'm taking African American staples and coming up with something new."
But Terry, who's not a vegan himself, has long been on a bigger mission. While working toward his master's in history at NYU in 2000, studying the Black Panthers' free-breakfast program, he realized there still was a chasm: People living in poor communities—where malt liquor can be more readily available than fresh produce—were getting the short end of the stick. So he founded B-Healthy, an initiative to educate and engage youth about food injustice.
Next year, Terry starts his fellowship project, working in the South to address that region's increase in diet-related illnesses and chronic diseases. "Seeing people in my own family dealing with preventable diet-related illnesses made me want to put more energy [where I grew up]."
Don't worry—Bryant's got his vices, especially a sweet tooth. "In my new book, each recipe is paired with a soundtrack. … In the ["Sweet Thangs" chapter], I noticed that a lot of the songs I unconsciously picked had to do with addiction. I think they're speaking to my overindulgence."
Web Exclusive:
Coconut-Pecan Pralines
Recipe excerpted from Bryant's upcoming cookbook, Vegan Soul Kitchen (Da Capo/Perseus 2009).
Yield: About 9 Pralines
Soundtrack: "Tie My Hands" by Lil Wayne from Tha Carter III
No matter how you pronounce it (PRAH-leens or PRAY-leens), this sugar-filled dessert is decadent and delicious. Along with coffee and beignets from Café Du Monde in New Orleans, pralines were one of my weaknesses during college days. Since they are mostly sugar, I break these out on special occasions like Mardi Gras, but they make a great dessert after any Cajun-Creole-inspired dishes.
1 cup pecan halves
1 1/2 cups organic raw cane sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon coconut butter
2 tablespoons dried unsweetened coconut
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Spread the pecans on a large baking sheet and toast for 6 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking.
3. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar and coconut milk and bring to a boil with a wooden spoon, stirring constantly.
4. When the temperature reaches 228°F on a candy thermometer, stir in the vanilla, coconut butter, dried coconut, salt and pecans and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 236°F.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
6. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until the candy coats the pecans but does not lose its gloss.
7. To make the pralines, drop the mixture 2 tablespoons at a time onto parchment paper. Allow the pralines to fully cool until completely solid, about 1 hour.
8. Enjoy responsibly.
Rag & Bone blazer ($720) at Barneys New York, 415-268-3500. Rag & Bone vest ($372) at Barneys New York. Theory button-down blue shirt ($245). Psycho Bunny by Robert Godley ($110) at Barneys New York. Etro silk paisley pocket square ($95) at Barneys New York.
More 2008 Hot 20 Under 40 Picks
BRYANT TERRY, 34. Author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen and the forthcoming cookbook Vegan Soul Kitchen; cohost of PBS's Endless Feast. Currently working on the Southern Organic Kitchen Project through a Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellowship. Shot on location at Farmer Brown in the Tenderloin by Anön.
Born in Memphis, Bryant Terry grew up around good food. "My grandfather was always cooking. I'd like to think the men in my family were more experimental. That certainly influenced me," he says of the impetus to write a vegan soul-food cookbook with recipes such as watermelon with basil sea salt. "I was a bit hesitant about the word vegan," he admits. "It evokes granola, fake meat. I like to think that I'm taking African American staples and coming up with something new."
But Terry, who's not a vegan himself, has long been on a bigger mission. While working toward his master's in history at NYU in 2000, studying the Black Panthers' free-breakfast program, he realized there still was a chasm: People living in poor communities—where malt liquor can be more readily available than fresh produce—were getting the short end of the stick. So he founded B-Healthy, an initiative to educate and engage youth about food injustice.
Next year, Terry starts his fellowship project, working in the South to address that region's increase in diet-related illnesses and chronic diseases. "Seeing people in my own family dealing with preventable diet-related illnesses made me want to put more energy [where I grew up]."
Don't worry—Bryant's got his vices, especially a sweet tooth. "In my new book, each recipe is paired with a soundtrack. … In the ["Sweet Thangs" chapter], I noticed that a lot of the songs I unconsciously picked had to do with addiction. I think they're speaking to my overindulgence."
Web Exclusive:
Coconut-Pecan Pralines
Recipe excerpted from Bryant's upcoming cookbook, Vegan Soul Kitchen (Da Capo/Perseus 2009).
Yield: About 9 Pralines
Soundtrack: "Tie My Hands" by Lil Wayne from Tha Carter III
No matter how you pronounce it (PRAH-leens or PRAY-leens), this sugar-filled dessert is decadent and delicious. Along with coffee and beignets from Café Du Monde in New Orleans, pralines were one of my weaknesses during college days. Since they are mostly sugar, I break these out on special occasions like Mardi Gras, but they make a great dessert after any Cajun-Creole-inspired dishes.
1 cup pecan halves
1 1/2 cups organic raw cane sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon coconut butter
2 tablespoons dried unsweetened coconut
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Spread the pecans on a large baking sheet and toast for 6 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking.
3. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar and coconut milk and bring to a boil with a wooden spoon, stirring constantly.
4. When the temperature reaches 228°F on a candy thermometer, stir in the vanilla, coconut butter, dried coconut, salt and pecans and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 236°F.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
6. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until the candy coats the pecans but does not lose its gloss.
7. To make the pralines, drop the mixture 2 tablespoons at a time onto parchment paper. Allow the pralines to fully cool until completely solid, about 1 hour.
8. Enjoy responsibly.
Rag & Bone blazer ($720) at Barneys New York, 415-268-3500. Rag & Bone vest ($372) at Barneys New York. Theory button-down blue shirt ($245). Psycho Bunny by Robert Godley ($110) at Barneys New York. Etro silk paisley pocket square ($95) at Barneys New York.
More 2008 Hot 20 Under 40 Picks
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