The Culinary Art Portfolio of Josephine E. Jones

Date reviewed/posted: December 6, 2020
Publication date: May 20, 2021

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us,  superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

There is no one movie, song, or book that will make these troubled times disappear, but The Culinary Art Portfolio of Josephine E. Jones—where art and food intersect--will give you welcome relief.

Wendy Jones—whose text accompanies John Turner's colour photographs—showcases the culinary art of her mother, Josephine E. Jones.

Josephine, in 1967, may have been the first African American woman in management at a Fortune 500 company, Standard Brands, now Kraft.

Neither a cookbook nor a how-to book, the portfolio's 16 photos, printed on glossy paper, are perforated so they can be removed and framed. The text on each facing page includes the ingredients used, the processes employed, and not only Josephine E. Jones's comments on food presentation, but also the wisdom of her positive approach to life—despite obstacles—which she overcame.

The photographs will give you the pleasure derived from any art book. The text will inspire you to create your own culinary art. And framing your favourite photos will give you, your family, and your friend's enjoyment for many years to come.

Admittedly, I have never heard of Josephine E. Jones, but certainly thank her daughter Wendy for writing this book.  It was interesting to read bout her life and Fortune 500 position but these photographs are the heart and soul of the book so I was surprised to see that she did not take the photo, but that's okay.  It was hard to appreciate said photos 100% in a digital format on a Kindle but I can see.  wanting to buy the book, ripping out the pages and framing them. (Thank you Mr. Turner for those amazing photos!

A great book for lovers of photography and food alike - a beautiful book.


As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube  Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

There is a lot of love in this book from the author to her mother, Josephine. I really loved reading the kind words, wholesome relationship and in general the passion for food passed down from one generation to the next. This is really a nostalgia book and I think it will talk to people who lived in the 70s. I was not born then and I find that culinary photography has evolved and improved a lot. Still, Josephine's work with her photographer was ground-breaking at the time, maybe they started the whole love for food photography, and revolutionary when you see how little African-decent  Americans were seen in managerial positions. All this makes me put a high emotional value on this book, but sadly I can't say I was truly taken by the photographs. They lack the modern freshness and  colour vibrancy that I enjoy. I know it is highly subjective and probably a result of me being exposed mainly to new cookbooks, but I had hoped to like this book better than I did. There are no recipes in here, just a lovely commentary about the composition and snapshot memories of the writer. I recommend this book to people who have lived through the 70s and are passionate about food and the history of its preparation.

Many thanks to the author, publishers and Netgalley for a free ARC of this ebook.
This is a glorious book. Its is lovingly produced even in e-format its clear to see that it is a work of art in itself. 
The hard copy had removable pages so that the artwork can be framed. 
The quality of the pictures is beautiful, and the descriptions so engaging. 
Highly recommended for art and food lovers alike.

The history of culinary art would never be complete without including the work of Josephine E. Jones. As possibly the first African-American woman to work in management at a Fortune 500 company, Ms. Jones went from a temporary worker at Standard Brands (now known as Nabisco) to a 31-year career as supervisor of their employees’ cafeteria. The care, effort, and attention to detail in the designs she created made her groundbreaker in so many ways. 

This portfolio makes a great gift for people involved in the world of culinary art, for foodies, and even those who just love food art. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley but the thoughts expressed are my own.

This is not a cookbook, but a portfolio of beautiful food photographs.  The author does provide the ingredients and basic processes that were used to create the photos.  The photographs are stunning and this would make a great coffee table book.  The prints are also ready for framing. 

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.  My review is voluntary.

In The Culinary Art Portfolio, Wendy Jones showscases the culinary art photography of her mother Josephine E. Jones. Josephine may have been the first African American woman in management at a Fortune 500 company in 1967.

The photography is gorgeous and I would love to buy a printed book. The photos are printed on glossy paper and can be removed and framed.

A true must have for food and photography enthusiasts.

A sweet glimpse into the life and work of Josephine E Jones, who was likely the first Black woman in management at a Fortune 500 company. This book, compiled by her daughter, offers us an intimate look at the food she created, and the creativity behind it.

Some very interesting photos of food. Great descriptions of the process and thought behind each of the food sculptures, which provide you with a list of the item used and stories to go with the process.  I feel like this book would pop more with a black background and white text so that the photos can really show up better.  They show up fine on a white background, but there's something about a black background with photos that seems to lend a more artistic look to it, and these photos really are amazing displaying true food works of art.

An interesting and wonderful collection of photos. I loved the food arrangement and the uniqueness of each one. The backstory and commentary was a delightful touch to the photos!

--Loving Memoire in Words and Food--

I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, and here are my thoughts.

This book is like a slice of corporate culinary history. Josephine E. Jones, a black woman, worked in management at a Fortune 500 company (that later became Kraft) in the 1960s. In this short book of less than 70 pages, each spread has a photograph of a food design arrangement, accompanied by her daughter's memory of what her mother told her about the preparation and presentation of food. Taking time to present food in a beautiful way was one of the important lessons she passed on.

The "lessons" or comments on each food arrangement are the biggest charm of this book. Each little story is a treasure in itself.

While the food photography will look dated (and it is from the 1960s!), you'll realize this is WHERE IT BEGAN, so to speak. But the highlight of the book for me, are the lessons of food, love, and caring between a mother and her daughter.  This is not a cookbook, but a lovebook.

Lots of wonderful in this precious book.