Date with a Dish Food Column

1947

Ebony’s food and fashion pages were its most-read sections. Inaugurated in 1947, its popular “Date with a Dish” food column ran until 2010 before being renamed. From Lobster Newburg to Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Ebony offered its readers a diversity of American and international recipes. It also underscored Black expertise and interest in a variety of cuisines. Celebrity favorites included Nat King Cole’s Tamale Pie, Lena Horne’s East Indian Chicken, and Michael Jordan’s Macaroni and Cheese. In this interview, culinary historian Dr. Jessica Harris describes the worldliness of Ebony’s approach to food.