Juneteenth, red drinks, barbecue, cherries

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Whether it’s soda, Kool-Aid, or cocktails, “red drinks” are the official beverage of a Juneteenth celebration. With “Watermelon and Red Birds,” Nicole Taylor has written the first cookbook dedicated to the holiday. Photo by Beatriz da Costa.

Food writer and master home cook Nicole Taylor lays out a spread of ribs, red drinks, and potato salad in the first cookbook devoted entirely to a Juneteenth celebration. Tyler Boudreaux encountered a cherry variety with a name that sent her down a rabbit hole to discover the history and roots of the Black Republican. Kevin Bludso describes some tough love from his grandmother and catering on rap videos in Compton in his new cookbook. When Dr. Howard Conyers isn’t designing rocket ships for NASA, he mans the barbecue pit. Wafts of smoke from Texas barbecue fill the air at Heritage Barbecue, directly across the street from the San Juan Capistrano mission.