In each of the BUTTERMILK GRAFFITI’s 16 character-driven chapters, Lee explores a place where immigrants are making a lasting impact on the culinary and cultural landscape. He digs into the meaning of Lebanese kibbeh in Clarksdale, MS; Uyghur noodle soup in Brighton Beach, NY; pepperoni rolls in West Virginia; and pastrami in Indianapolis. He contemplates clam pizza in Connecticut, now considered a classic local dish, but originally an Italian immigrant’s attempt to incorporate an unfamiliar ingredient into a recipe from the Old Country. And not content merely to observe, he fasts for Ramadan in Dearborn, Michigan, and smokes Cuban cigars in Miami. Original recipes serve as a coda at the end of each chapter, summing up what Lee has learned and how he plans to integrate it into his own life. Throughout, he finds that “Food can be a bridge, and the best, most thrilling dishes can result from joining two different worlds.”

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