By Gretchen McKay
From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“This salad is, for me, about flavor, texture and childhood memories,” chef Alexander Smalls says in his cookbook, “Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes From My African American Kitchen.” The cookbook is a tribute to his South Carolina heritage and the music that inspired the former professional opera singer.
A childhood favorite, it was on the menu when he opened The Cecil, New York City’s first Afro-Asian-American restaurant, in 2013. It honors his father and grandfather and the pears they grew in their backyard in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The beans add protein and the pears a touch of elegance. A lemony vinaigrette ties it all together.
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