A Taste of Black Refractions: Recipes Inspired by the Exhibition

Using artworks from the exhibition Black Refractions: Highlights from The Studio Museum in Harlem as inspiration, Chef Kristi Brown of That Brown Girl Cooks! and COMMUNION Restaurant & Bar has created a menu featuring five recipes that you can try at home. Black Refractions is on view at the Frye through August 15, 2021.

Chef Kristi provided a live demonstration of the citrus salsa recipe during the Frye’s Virtual Community Day (June 5, 2021), hosted by local artist Moses Sun. You can follow along using the recording of her demo, which includes a conversation with Moses, or find the written recipe below, along with the full menu.

MENU 

Golden & Buttery Hoe Cakes | Peruvian-style Chicken Legs | Citrus Salsa | Rich Black Beans | Green Sauce

GOLDEN & BUTTERY HOE CAKES

Inspired by Lawdy Mama by Barkley L. Hendricks

Ingredients

• 1 cup (138 g) yellow cornmeal 

• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour 

• 4 teaspoons (19.17 g) baking powder 

• 1 tablespoon (12.59 g) sugar 

• 3/4 teaspoon (4.5 g) salt 

• 2 eggs 

• 3/4 cup (182 g) buttermilk 

• 1/2 cup (64 g) water 

• 1/4 cup (60 g) vegetable, canola, or peanut oil for frying 
  
  
   

Instructions 

1. To prepare the batter, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

2. In a large measuring cup for liquids, combine eggs, buttermilk and water. Whisk until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, using as few strokes as possible.

3. To fry the griddle cakes, heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Ladle 1/4 cup of the batter onto the hot skillet. Repeat with the rest of the batter, working in batches so that you don’t crowd the skillet.

Notes

• Don't have buttermilk? Make your own by stirring 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then use in the recipe as instructed.

• If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use any other heavy skillet or griddle.

• I use either vegetable, canola, or peanut oil for this recipe. You want a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point for greasing the skillet.

• Instead of using oil in this recipe, try substituting with bacon grease! It’s a great way to add flavor to the hoe cakes. 

• Optional add-ins: chopped jalapeño peppers, grated cheese, or chopped bacon

PERUVIAN-STYLE CHICKEN LEGS

Inspired by Conspicuous Fraud Series #1 (Eminence) by Kehinde Wiley

Ingredients

• 8 chicken legs, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds (1.6 to 1.8 kg) 

• 4 teaspoons (20 g) kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons (30 g) ground cumin 

• 2 tablespoons (30 g) smoked paprika 

• 1 teaspoon (5 g) freshly ground black pepper 

• 5 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) 

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white vinegar

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pomace olive oil

Instructions 

1. Combine salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, garlic, vinegar, and oil in a small bowl and massage with fingertips until it is mixed well. 

2. Place the chicken into a large baking dish and spread the mixture evenly over all of the chicken. 

3. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. (Note: This recipe is best if made on a charcoal grill, but you can also use the oven.)

4. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

5. Then place the chicken under the broiler until it is golden brown in color

CITRUS SALSA

Inspired by Kevin the Kiteman by Jordan Casteel and Variations on a Six Sided Object by Alvin Loving

Ingredients

• 1 large (104 g) orange, segmented

• 1 large (200 g) grapefruit, segmented

• 1 (67 g) lime, segmented 

• 1/2 (25 g) jalapeño pepper, finely diced

• 1/8 cup (17.5 g) red onion, finely diced

• 1 tablespoon (1.83 g) cilantro, chopped 

• Salt to taste

Notes

• If you'd like the sauce to be less spicy, remove the seeds and membranes from the peppers first.

• Jalapeño and ají amarillo peppers have oils that can burn your skin and eyes. Avoid direct contact with them as much as possible. When working with these fresh peppers, you can wear rubber gloves or be sure to wash your hands very well after handling them.

Instructions 

1. Using a very sharp knife, cut off the tops and bottoms of the fruits so that they can sit flat on a cutting board. 

2. Holding the fruit down on a cutting board, use the knife to slice off the peel and the pith in sections, deep enough to remove the thin membrane and expose the flesh of the orange and following the shape of the fruit. Once you've gone around the fruit, clean up any remaining membrane or pith.

3. Set the fruit on its side. Find a membrane and carefully cut toward the center along the membrane. DO NOT cut all the way through—just to the center of the fruit. Then slice along the adjacent membrane until the cuts meet, releasing the segment. Transfer the segment to a bowl. Repeat, working your way around the entire fruit. Then repeat this for all the fruits. Squeeze the juices from the leftover membranes of the fruits and save it for later.

4. Cut the jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membrane (the white pithy part). Finely dice  pepper. Wash your hands well after handling the pepper.

5. Finely dice the red onion.

6. Finely chop the cilantro.

7. Mix all the ingredients. Add some of the juice left over from the membranes of the citrus fruits. Salt to taste.

RICH BLACK BEANS

Inspired by Silence is Golden by Kerry James Marshall

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans 

• 1 small onion,(115 g) chopped 

• 2 cloves (5 g) garlic, chopped 

• 1 tablespoon (1.1 g) chopped fresh cilantro 

• 2 tablespoons (28.3 g) pomace olive oil

• Salt to taste

Instructions 

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté onions until the edges are browned. Then add garlic and sauté until fragrant.

2. Add canned black beans along with half of the liquid in the can.

3. Add herbs and spices.

4. Simmer for at least 10 to 12 minute on low to combine all the flavors.

GREEN SAUCE

Inspired by House Boy by Otobong Nkanga

Ingredients

• 3 whole jalapeño peppers, roughly chopped 

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ají amarillo pepper paste 

• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (1 ounce; 28 g) 

• 2 medium cloves garlic 

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream

• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh juice from 1 lime

• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) distilled white vinegar

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
   

Instructions 

1. Combine jalapeños, ají amarillo, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and vinegar in a blender.

2. Blend on high speed, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in olive oil.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. The sauce will be quite loose at this point, but will thicken as it sits. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

• If you'd like the sauce to be less spicy, remove the seeds and membranes from the peppers first.

• Jalapeño and ají amarillo peppers have oils that can burn your skin and eyes. Avoid direct contact with them as much as possible. When working with these fresh peppers, you can wear rubber gloves or be sure to wash your hands very well after handling them.

Download All Recipes as a PDF

ABOUT CHEF KRISTI BROWN

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Chef Kristi Brown officially spooned her way into the culinary world almost 31 years ago at a small café in downtown Seattle, Washington. Chef Kristi graduated from the Seattle Culinary Academy in 1993. Following three years of professional cooking, she founded That Brown Girl Catering in her apartment which she utilized as a kitchen in the Central District of Seattle. From the beginning of her career, Chef Kristi has committed herself to preparing whole foods with love! She believes that healing happens through food and indeed, what she creates is food magic. Chef Kristi is not only the Founder, Executive Chef, and Co-owner of That Brown Girl Cooks!, she also launched a Community Kitchen named after her mantra, 'Everybody Gotta Eat'. Her inaugural food product, the Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, has gained fame over the years and has a new home at COMMUNION Restaurant & Bar - her newly opened restaurant venture. COMMUNION R&B lives in the Liberty Bank Building, an apartment community whose namesake pays homage to the first Black-owned bank in the Pacific Northwest.