Malcolm X the Food Rebel
Courtesy of the New York Public Library, Circa 1958
In the 1950s Malcolm X and the members of Harlem’s Temple 7 represented the face of the Nation of Islam in New York. In what he said, ate, and lived, Malcolm, says Harlem native Roy Miller who I interviewed for my book Hog and Hominy, “made a lot of people conscious about what they were eating . . . .” Changing African-American views toward food, especially pork, can be attributed to Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X. Nation operated restaurants served beef and fish meals with brown rice, fresh vegetables, bean soup, and bean pies. You cannot talk about the Nation and food without discussing its delicious sweet custard bean pies which its members sold in ungentrified sections of New York, D. C., and LA.
Bean Pie Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups navy beans (cooked)
1 stick butter (or butter substitute)
1 14-oz. can evaporated milk (vanilla Vitasoy)
4 eggs (or eggs substitute)
1tsp. nutmeg
1tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. flour
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. vanilla
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In electric blender, blend together beans, butter milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and flour for around two minutes on medium speed. Put mixture in a large mixing bowl. Mix in sugar and vanilla. Stir well. Pour into pie shells. Bake for around an hour until golden brown. Yields two or three pies.
