Rufus Estes' Good Things to Eat: The First Cookbook by an African-American Chef

Born a slave in 1857, Rufus Estes worked his way up as a Pullman porter to a job preparing meals for the top brass at one of America's largest steel corporations. This cookbook, the first by a black chef, includes a number of dishes from Estes' vast culinary collection.

Commenting briefly on his southern childhood and early years as a railway attendant, Estes goes on to offer simple instructions for preparing such standard fare as fried chicken, beef roast, and glazed carrots. But the heart...