Mixtape Potluck (Questlove)

Staff Pick: It’s been a long year. When we’re feeling weary from living through the millionth “unprecedented time”, we turn to things to mix it up and bring us comfort: good music, delicious food, and people to share unforgettable evenings with. That’s exactly what Ahmir Khalib Thompson– aka Questlove, award-winning drummer and co-frontman of The Roots– accomplishes with Mixtape Potluck. With contributors ranging from Padma Lakshmi to Zooey Deschanel and more, this book makes it so easy for you to have a fun time hosting people you love. 

Start with something like seafood expert Éric Ripert’s salmon rillette with sourdough toast, keep the tasty times going with Nyesha Arrington’s sweet potato kimchi pancake or Marisa Tomei’s family peppers, and cozy up with Jessica Biel’s no-fuss blueberry crunch cake. Need help putting together a playlist? Obviously Questlove has you covered with a guest list-inspired playlist, tips on curation, and more. Have friends who don’t like cooking but want to contribute? Head to the Afterword. This book is so much more than a cookbook - it’s an invitation for everyone to join in culinary camaraderie. It’s music for your ears, it’s soul for your stomach.  -Brinda

Questlove is best known for his achievements in the music world, but his interest in food runs a close second. He has hosted a series of renowned Food Salons and conversations with some of America’s most prominent chefs. Now he is turning his hand to creating a cookbook. In Mixtape Potluck Cookbook, Questlove imagines the ultimate potluck dinner party, inviting more than fifty chefs, entertainers, and musicians—such as Eric Ripert, Natalie Portman, and Q-Tip—and asking them to bring along their favorite recipes. He also pairs each cook with a song that he feels best captures their unique creative energy. The result is not only an accessible, entertaining cookbook, but also a collection of Questlove’s diverting musical commentaries as well as an illustration of the fascinating creative relationship between music and food. With Questlove’s unique style of hosting dinner parties and his love of music, food, and entertaining, this book will give readers unexpected insights into the relationship between culture and food.