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Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience
A timely self-examination of the “mixed” American experience featuring exclusive recipes and photographs from the author’s multicultural family.
As citizens continue to evolve and diversify within the United States, the ingredients that make up each flavorful household are waiting to be discovered and devoured. In Colorful Palate, author Raj Tawney shares his coming-of-age memoir as a young man born into an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian-American family, his struggles with understanding his own identity, and the mouthwatering flavors of the melting pot from within his own childhood kitchen.
While the world outside can be cruel and unforgiving, it’s even more complicated for a mixed-race kid, unsure of his place in the world. Turning to his mother and grandmother for guidance, Tawney assists in the kitchen, providing intimate moments and candor as he listened to the tales behind each culinary delicacy and the women who perfected it. Each lovingly prepared meal offered another opportunity to learn more about his extraordinary heritage. The ability to create delicious fare with his family wasn’t just a duty for the grand ladies who raised him; it was a survival tactic for navigating new and unknown cultures, not always willing to accept them at first or even a hundredth glance. As Tawney examines both himself and his loved ones through the formative stages of his life, from boyhood through adulthood, he begins to realize, through all of the chaos and confusion, just how “American” he actually was.
In this contemporary coming-of-age tale, Tawney tackles personal hot-button issues about race and identity through poignant, heartfelt moments centered on delicious meals. From succulent tandoori chicken to delectable arroz con habichuelas to scrumptious spaghetti and meatballs, Tawney shares his family recipes along with the intimate stories he overheard in the kitchen as he played sous chef to hundreds of recipes that not only span continents but also come with their own personal histories attached. Colorful Palate is a tale of the mixed experience, one of the millions that rarely get told, undefined by a single group or birthright and unapologetic about its lack of classification.
As citizens continue to evolve and diversify within the United States, the ingredients that make up each flavorful household are waiting to be discovered and devoured. In Colorful Palate, author Raj Tawney shares his coming-of-age memoir as a young man born into an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian-American family, his struggles with understanding his own identity, and the mouthwatering flavors of the melting pot from within his own childhood kitchen.
While the world outside can be cruel and unforgiving, it’s even more complicated for a mixed-race kid, unsure of his place in the world. Turning to his mother and grandmother for guidance, Tawney assists in the kitchen, providing intimate moments and candor as he listened to the tales behind each culinary delicacy and the women who perfected it. Each lovingly prepared meal offered another opportunity to learn more about his extraordinary heritage. The ability to create delicious fare with his family wasn’t just a duty for the grand ladies who raised him; it was a survival tactic for navigating new and unknown cultures, not always willing to accept them at first or even a hundredth glance. As Tawney examines both himself and his loved ones through the formative stages of his life, from boyhood through adulthood, he begins to realize, through all of the chaos and confusion, just how “American” he actually was.
In this contemporary coming-of-age tale, Tawney tackles personal hot-button issues about race and identity through poignant, heartfelt moments centered on delicious meals. From succulent tandoori chicken to delectable arroz con habichuelas to scrumptious spaghetti and meatballs, Tawney shares his family recipes along with the intimate stories he overheard in the kitchen as he played sous chef to hundreds of recipes that not only span continents but also come with their own personal histories attached. Colorful Palate is a tale of the mixed experience, one of the millions that rarely get told, undefined by a single group or birthright and unapologetic about its lack of classification.
160 pages, Hardcover
Published October 3, 2023
1 person is currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Raj Tawney
3 books15 followersRaj Tawney is an author, journalist, and essayist whose work largely reflects his multiracial American upbringing. Born in New York to an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian American family, Tawney has explored his identity and family history through personal essays published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, and other outlets throughout the country. His debut memoir, Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience (Empire State Editions/Fordham University Press, 2023), earned critical acclaim and won numerous awards. His Middle Grade novel, All Mixed Up (Paw Prints Publishing/Baker & Taylor, 2024), was a NYPL Best Book for Kids pick and a Día Reading List pick, among other accolades. He currently resides in South Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 17, 2024
This is a coming of age book with definitely more story than recipes. I loved the way he though of his gran. This was a nice journey to take.
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July 12, 2025I appreciated this insight into the challenges someone of my own generation faced growing up on the edge of New York City with a mixed racial heritage. And building the memoir around recipes was genius. However, I can't recommend it because of the language. If it was just in quotes I would feel a little less turned off by it, but it felt like lazy writing to me to include vulgar language in the narration itself ... not to mention just being offensive.
April 8, 2025
Colorful Palate by Raj Tawney
Audio Version
Overall Grade: B+
Information: B+
Writing/Organization: B
Narration: A-
Best Aspect: A good mix of memoir and food. Covers a lot of emotional topics.
Worst Aspect: A little slow in sections and I zoned out.
Recommend: Yes.
Audible release 4/2/05 Written book out now.
Audio Version
Overall Grade: B+
Information: B+
Writing/Organization: B
Narration: A-
Best Aspect: A good mix of memoir and food. Covers a lot of emotional topics.
Worst Aspect: A little slow in sections and I zoned out.
Recommend: Yes.
Audible release 4/2/05 Written book out now.
December 12, 2023
Colorful Palate
It should come as no surprise that I love food. Most cultures cultivate that shared trait. We experience many of our best times around the dinner table as we gather to pass wisdom, share recipes, overfeed children, and bask in community.
That shared cultural well make’s Raj’s unique story relatable to anyone who has ever helped an elder relative prepare a meal. Perhaps, like me, you remember smooshing dumpling wrappers for mom to roll out before we crimp them into plumb crescents.
Or, like Raj who is rolling meatballs with Nana in the Bronx, her kitchen crafted with an instinctual mise en place while “I Love Lucy” plays on the living room TV.
Raj will share his memories of her stories, along with her meatball recipe, and you will devour both with glee and come to treasure them as much as he does.
The entire book is a gift, soaked in rich details about the lives of this neo-classic American family with intense complexity from its cultural intersections. Raj’s mother feels like an interloper to her husband’s Desi community, humanized in her emotions of anxiety and resentment before shoveling all that deep down and dressing up for the dinner party. Raj struggles to find himself in a school community that cannot label him. Throughout, he and his family return to food for comfort and love. Like his mother packing Tupperware for long bus tours. Or spectacular holiday dinners.
Often, Raj is a sympathetic protagonist, his love accommodates all the characters in his life with genuine curiosity and generosity. Add a dash of childlike optimism and a sprinkle of buffoonish innocence. His protagonist ends up as a refreshing reminder of how we can all learn more by listening closely. As lesson I will try to emulate more in my life.
As the reader grows alongside Raj, we admire his dedication to living life on his own terms, a meandering, off-beat journey, centered on his own heart.
There’s room at Raj’s table. He has been left on the outside in the past and those experiences have given him enough wisdom to understanding that we do not build taller fences, we build longer tables. To welcome to anyone regardless what they look like or where they come from.
His voice is desperately needed to remind ourselves of the rich hues of humanity in a time where division seems higher than ever. The hues are powerful and necessary, but also on the very basics, we are the same.
It should come as no surprise that I love food. Most cultures cultivate that shared trait. We experience many of our best times around the dinner table as we gather to pass wisdom, share recipes, overfeed children, and bask in community.
That shared cultural well make’s Raj’s unique story relatable to anyone who has ever helped an elder relative prepare a meal. Perhaps, like me, you remember smooshing dumpling wrappers for mom to roll out before we crimp them into plumb crescents.
Or, like Raj who is rolling meatballs with Nana in the Bronx, her kitchen crafted with an instinctual mise en place while “I Love Lucy” plays on the living room TV.
Raj will share his memories of her stories, along with her meatball recipe, and you will devour both with glee and come to treasure them as much as he does.
The entire book is a gift, soaked in rich details about the lives of this neo-classic American family with intense complexity from its cultural intersections. Raj’s mother feels like an interloper to her husband’s Desi community, humanized in her emotions of anxiety and resentment before shoveling all that deep down and dressing up for the dinner party. Raj struggles to find himself in a school community that cannot label him. Throughout, he and his family return to food for comfort and love. Like his mother packing Tupperware for long bus tours. Or spectacular holiday dinners.
Often, Raj is a sympathetic protagonist, his love accommodates all the characters in his life with genuine curiosity and generosity. Add a dash of childlike optimism and a sprinkle of buffoonish innocence. His protagonist ends up as a refreshing reminder of how we can all learn more by listening closely. As lesson I will try to emulate more in my life.
As the reader grows alongside Raj, we admire his dedication to living life on his own terms, a meandering, off-beat journey, centered on his own heart.
There’s room at Raj’s table. He has been left on the outside in the past and those experiences have given him enough wisdom to understanding that we do not build taller fences, we build longer tables. To welcome to anyone regardless what they look like or where they come from.
His voice is desperately needed to remind ourselves of the rich hues of humanity in a time where division seems higher than ever. The hues are powerful and necessary, but also on the very basics, we are the same.
September 21, 2023
I really enjoyed this wonderful foodie memoir and exploration or race, class and identity as well. 👏🏻
#gifted @otrpr
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
#gifted @otrpr
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
July 5, 2024
I loved a few things about this book, but it didn't leave me sated. The ingredients were all there, but they didn't add up. What I loved turns out to be inseparable from what left me wanting more: the book's reliance on food and music.
Food is more than a metaphor in this memoir; it's the book's unifying theme. Each chapter ends with a recipe from someone special to the author, usually his mother or grandmother, and it connects the reader to his Italian/Indian/Puerto Rican cultures. But the characters themselves remain underdeveloped, their conflicts hinted at but never fleshed out. This is especially true of Tawney's Puerto-Rican/Italian mother, who tries so hard to fit into her husband's circle of jet-setting Indian housewives, only to be shunned as an imposter in her saris and ignored by her husband. In one chapter, the young Raj sees his mother crying in the dark as she listens to Madonna's "This Used to Be My Playground." Caught unaware, the mother urges Raj back to bed; she wants to have her moment of vulnerability uninterrupted. Why did she try so hard to assimilate to her husband's culture when he took no interest in hers? Why did the grandmother deny her Puerto Rican roots as a homeowner in a mainstream American 55 and older community in Florida? It would have been worth exploring these questions, but Tawney gives them only passing mention. One moment, Raj's mother is sobbing uncontrollably on the couch; the next, she is begging her husband to eat the breakfast she has painstakingly prepared (he refuses, of course), and the chapter ends with "Loretta's Lolis," a recipe for flatbread that it took her decades to perfect, taking notes from Indian chefs in Jackson Heights restaurants.
We see the characters through the eyes of the boy whom they raised; the author seems uncomfortable with imagining them in roles other than mother and grandmother whipping up culinary delights for his benefit. Other mixed race memoirs, like James McBride's The Color of Water and Kym Ragusa's The Skin Between Us, find original ways to resolve the dilemma of having to write about family members from a limited first-person point of view: McBride graciously moves out of the way and allows his mother to tell her own story in sections, and Ragusa reconstructs oral narratives. The recipe is Tawney's default mode, his way of sweeping over tensions and hoping the reader won't notice that nothing has been resolved. It feels like a tactic to put a wholesome spin on the intermingling of ethnicities and avoid the less salutary elements, the raw, messy emotions left too long to marinate on the kitchen counter.
The same tactic I found compelling became repetitive and stale halfway through the book, as the plot ambled into different territory: Raj's teenage rebellion as a grunge musician in the nineties and his conversion in his late twenties as a tutor to senior citizens. At this point, his parents are estranged, but we don't know how this came about or why they continue to live with each other in silence, since we never get their perspectives on their marriage. A pretense of a resolution comes when Raj gets engaged to a woman from a happy family who is also a failed artist, and the two families spend every American holiday at their Long Island home, savoring the homemade cooking of different ethnicities. Fade out and feel good music by Tony Bennett.
Colorful Palate made me think about the advantages and potential drawbacks of using food as a metaphor for culture. As part of a unit on autoethnographic writing, I will be assigning my composition students an excerpt from this book and the playlist of songs Tawney composed for it. I can see all kinds of delightful experiments with food and music being cooked up in my classroom, and for that alone, I am grateful to the author.
Food is more than a metaphor in this memoir; it's the book's unifying theme. Each chapter ends with a recipe from someone special to the author, usually his mother or grandmother, and it connects the reader to his Italian/Indian/Puerto Rican cultures. But the characters themselves remain underdeveloped, their conflicts hinted at but never fleshed out. This is especially true of Tawney's Puerto-Rican/Italian mother, who tries so hard to fit into her husband's circle of jet-setting Indian housewives, only to be shunned as an imposter in her saris and ignored by her husband. In one chapter, the young Raj sees his mother crying in the dark as she listens to Madonna's "This Used to Be My Playground." Caught unaware, the mother urges Raj back to bed; she wants to have her moment of vulnerability uninterrupted. Why did she try so hard to assimilate to her husband's culture when he took no interest in hers? Why did the grandmother deny her Puerto Rican roots as a homeowner in a mainstream American 55 and older community in Florida? It would have been worth exploring these questions, but Tawney gives them only passing mention. One moment, Raj's mother is sobbing uncontrollably on the couch; the next, she is begging her husband to eat the breakfast she has painstakingly prepared (he refuses, of course), and the chapter ends with "Loretta's Lolis," a recipe for flatbread that it took her decades to perfect, taking notes from Indian chefs in Jackson Heights restaurants.
We see the characters through the eyes of the boy whom they raised; the author seems uncomfortable with imagining them in roles other than mother and grandmother whipping up culinary delights for his benefit. Other mixed race memoirs, like James McBride's The Color of Water and Kym Ragusa's The Skin Between Us, find original ways to resolve the dilemma of having to write about family members from a limited first-person point of view: McBride graciously moves out of the way and allows his mother to tell her own story in sections, and Ragusa reconstructs oral narratives. The recipe is Tawney's default mode, his way of sweeping over tensions and hoping the reader won't notice that nothing has been resolved. It feels like a tactic to put a wholesome spin on the intermingling of ethnicities and avoid the less salutary elements, the raw, messy emotions left too long to marinate on the kitchen counter.
The same tactic I found compelling became repetitive and stale halfway through the book, as the plot ambled into different territory: Raj's teenage rebellion as a grunge musician in the nineties and his conversion in his late twenties as a tutor to senior citizens. At this point, his parents are estranged, but we don't know how this came about or why they continue to live with each other in silence, since we never get their perspectives on their marriage. A pretense of a resolution comes when Raj gets engaged to a woman from a happy family who is also a failed artist, and the two families spend every American holiday at their Long Island home, savoring the homemade cooking of different ethnicities. Fade out and feel good music by Tony Bennett.
Colorful Palate made me think about the advantages and potential drawbacks of using food as a metaphor for culture. As part of a unit on autoethnographic writing, I will be assigning my composition students an excerpt from this book and the playlist of songs Tawney composed for it. I can see all kinds of delightful experiments with food and music being cooked up in my classroom, and for that alone, I am grateful to the author.
January 20, 2025
Warm, humorous, and engrossing. I have nearly missed bus and train stops on the way to and from work because of this book! It really unlocked a flurry of memories for me.
I was transported back to the sights, sounds, and smells of New York in the 1980s and 1990s. I can picture every kitchen, apartment, house, living room, school and highway described and can almost smell the coffee, the onions frying, and the spices being toasted as conversations took place between Raj's family members.
Being a child from a mixed culture myself, it is also a very relatable story of growing up in New York City and its environs. I remember witnessing many clashes between my parents because of their cultural differences. They tacitly agreed to disagree, each going to their own religious services and believing what they wanted to believe. But, they came together for the sake of the family and food told the story.
"Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience" is a very special New York story! Those who are mixed-raced, from mixed-cultures, or who love books about family recipes and memories inspired by food will enjoy this sweet and savory read.
I was transported back to the sights, sounds, and smells of New York in the 1980s and 1990s. I can picture every kitchen, apartment, house, living room, school and highway described and can almost smell the coffee, the onions frying, and the spices being toasted as conversations took place between Raj's family members.
Being a child from a mixed culture myself, it is also a very relatable story of growing up in New York City and its environs. I remember witnessing many clashes between my parents because of their cultural differences. They tacitly agreed to disagree, each going to their own religious services and believing what they wanted to believe. But, they came together for the sake of the family and food told the story.
"Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience" is a very special New York story! Those who are mixed-raced, from mixed-cultures, or who love books about family recipes and memories inspired by food will enjoy this sweet and savory read.
November 21, 2023
I loved reading about the author's growing up with the influence of his Puerto Rican grandmother and her tasty dishes that include an Italian recipe or two. His love of cooking multiple types of food also came from his PuertoRican-Italian mother who cooked Indian dishes at home for the family and his Indian father.
It was interesting to see how a family with three different cultural influences brought up the sons - the author and his older brother, who nevertheless grew up going their own way to develop their American identities. The coming of age memoir is a cheerful one, with happy overtones in spite of his parents' alienation from each other. I find it notable that the couple were estranged but continued to live in the same home.
The recipes included in the book are most Indian recipes, delicious sounding but requiring many steps and varieties of ingredients and spices. I liked the simple Italian recipe of spaghetti and meatballs that his grandmother used to prepare.
I enjoyed reading this well written, easy to read book and would recommend it to foodies and those interested in multi cultural families.
It was interesting to see how a family with three different cultural influences brought up the sons - the author and his older brother, who nevertheless grew up going their own way to develop their American identities. The coming of age memoir is a cheerful one, with happy overtones in spite of his parents' alienation from each other. I find it notable that the couple were estranged but continued to live in the same home.
The recipes included in the book are most Indian recipes, delicious sounding but requiring many steps and varieties of ingredients and spices. I liked the simple Italian recipe of spaghetti and meatballs that his grandmother used to prepare.
I enjoyed reading this well written, easy to read book and would recommend it to foodies and those interested in multi cultural families.
November 19, 2023
Raj Taney did not just hear about the US as a melting pot. For him, the melting pot was a reality. In his family, there was a living documentary going on. In his day to day life lived the languages and the life styles of the Italians, Puerto Ricans and Indians. In any home, meal time is very important especially dinner time. There is where we tell what happened to us in the past few hours since breakfast. When his Grandmother cooked, he listened to her tell stories. This book is a coming of age story. It is a different kind of story. The author's life is about living a mixed race life whether you wish to or not. For every story, there is an ethnic dish. His life is like the booths at the World Fair. Every booth is different. He cooked along with his grandmother and his Aunt. Since it is food that made the different race stories come to life, there are recipes in the "Colorful Palate" for the reader to try cooking.
December 13, 2023
I read this book as a pre-release e-book obtained through NetGalley, provided by the publisher.
This is a heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking autobiography of the author – beginning when he was 5 years old and ending with his wedding. This is unique because of his own ethnic mixture of three cultures who do not accept one another well, nor are any of them accepted by mainstream society. Tolerance is not acceptance, as can be seen with incidents of bullying and discrimination. This included vivid lessons concerning economic divisions and ageism. The author though certainly went through a unique journey through life!
It's also a cookbook. The author gives informal recipes from his relatives of all of these cultures, along with stories of making them, cooking them, and enjoying them. Some of them are "how tos" about making something out of one culture out of the buffet items of another, and are certainly funny. Others, I cannot wait to try!
This is a heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking autobiography of the author – beginning when he was 5 years old and ending with his wedding. This is unique because of his own ethnic mixture of three cultures who do not accept one another well, nor are any of them accepted by mainstream society. Tolerance is not acceptance, as can be seen with incidents of bullying and discrimination. This included vivid lessons concerning economic divisions and ageism. The author though certainly went through a unique journey through life!
It's also a cookbook. The author gives informal recipes from his relatives of all of these cultures, along with stories of making them, cooking them, and enjoying them. Some of them are "how tos" about making something out of one culture out of the buffet items of another, and are certainly funny. Others, I cannot wait to try!
Read
June 21, 2024This book tugged on my heart strings. Raj Tawney writes in such a poetic way, gracefully connecting his coming of age stories through the themes of food, ethnicity, family and love. The diverse dishes he describes serve as a kind of metaphor for bringing people together. The way he writes about the important people in his life (Nani, Irene and Michelle) is extremely moving. Raj is a brilliant and talented author.
November 2, 2024
What a nice book! I wish I had diverse grandparents the way Raj had, because growing up with Indian, Italian and Puerto Rican food trained his palate at a VERY early age. Mine were all Eastern European (Rumania and points east) which meant food for cold weather, and my mother was an indifferent cook who excelled at pie crust and little else. I didn't have my first chile pepper until I was in college, so I felt deprived reading it. The amount of good eating I've done as an adult allowed me to finish it.
April 4, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
I really liked what was given, but it felt disconnected from itself; almost like disconnected memoirs that had the smallest connecting thread but not enough to make it cohesive. The overall memoir aspect was open and raw at times, I just prefer to hear how situations/relationships were concluded.
I liked that the recipes Raj remembered from different events were incorporated with the memoir. By the end, I wonder if there were more memoir entries that could have been included to tie some of the stories together but they didn't have recipes.
I liked listening, and enjoyed hearing about his and his family's story.
I really liked what was given, but it felt disconnected from itself; almost like disconnected memoirs that had the smallest connecting thread but not enough to make it cohesive. The overall memoir aspect was open and raw at times, I just prefer to hear how situations/relationships were concluded.
I liked that the recipes Raj remembered from different events were incorporated with the memoir. By the end, I wonder if there were more memoir entries that could have been included to tie some of the stories together but they didn't have recipes.
I liked listening, and enjoyed hearing about his and his family's story.
April 9, 2025
Thanks to the publisher for providing the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Raj Tawney pulled me in with the stories of his childhood. They made me think of all the times my grandmother tried to teach me how to cook. (Still CAN'T) One of the first stories he tells talks about his first experience in school. He was so excited but was almost immediately bullied. As an educator, it kills me that any child's first experience with school is a negative one. I'm looking forward to adding this to my shelf.
March 5, 2025
Raj Tawney’s memoir, Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience, offers a heartfelt and deeply personal reflection on identity, family, and belonging through the lens of food. As a high school educator, I found this book to be incredibly engaging and an accessible narrative that could spark meaningful discussions in the classroom, particularly around themes of race (emphasis on being multiracial), multiculturalism, and personal storytelling...and FOOD!
Tawney, who comes from a diverse background (Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian) navigates his experiences growing up in a society that often demands clear-cut racial lines/boundaries and cultural identities. His reflections on food serve as a powerful entry point for exploring the intersections of history, migration, and personal heritage. The book is rich with sensory details, humor, and vulnerability, making it both an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. Also, Tawney’s accessible writing style and relatable storytelling could inspire students to reflect on their own cultural backgrounds and the role food plays in shaping identity. Because I teach 9th graders, I especially love Ch. 5-6 (NO SPOILERS - you have to read to find out why I find Ch.5-6 to be particularly relatable for 9th graders). I think his writing serves as an important place to being some difficult and complex conversations from these chapters.
Raj Tawney's book is a perfect addition for the ELA curriculum. I wish I had this book when I had multiracial students in my classroom who was searching for a book that represented them. This book allows them to feel seen. However, I think that ALL students will benefit from reading his book and may be left feeling quite hungry!! :)
Tawney, who comes from a diverse background (Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian) navigates his experiences growing up in a society that often demands clear-cut racial lines/boundaries and cultural identities. His reflections on food serve as a powerful entry point for exploring the intersections of history, migration, and personal heritage. The book is rich with sensory details, humor, and vulnerability, making it both an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. Also, Tawney’s accessible writing style and relatable storytelling could inspire students to reflect on their own cultural backgrounds and the role food plays in shaping identity. Because I teach 9th graders, I especially love Ch. 5-6 (NO SPOILERS - you have to read to find out why I find Ch.5-6 to be particularly relatable for 9th graders). I think his writing serves as an important place to being some difficult and complex conversations from these chapters.
Raj Tawney's book is a perfect addition for the ELA curriculum. I wish I had this book when I had multiracial students in my classroom who was searching for a book that represented them. This book allows them to feel seen. However, I think that ALL students will benefit from reading his book and may be left feeling quite hungry!! :)
March 16, 2025
Colorful Palate has to be the best autobiography I’ve read in a while- I couldn’t get enough of his story and how much he talked about his culture, cooking with his Nani, and learning all about his Nani in general. It was so sweet getting to grow up alongside with him throughout this story. I hope he writes more books in the future!!
May 3, 2025
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The author shares his personal journey of how he became the person and chef that he is. It is warm, heartfelt, engaging, interesting and filled with love.
A wonderful addition to anyone’s library. The author shares with us his life experience alongside recipes and how they’ve shaped him. The recipes and the stories are varied, wonderful, delicious and heartfelt. I was given the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for the experience.
I received a copy of this book from net galley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.
A wonderful addition to anyone’s library. The author shares with us his life experience alongside recipes and how they’ve shaped him. The recipes and the stories are varied, wonderful, delicious and heartfelt. I was given the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for the experience.
I received a copy of this book from net galley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.
December 11, 2024
Real Rating: 4.5* of five
The Publisher Says: WINNER, 2024 BEST INDIE BOOK AWARD, CULINARY MEMOIR
WINNER, 2024 LIVING NOW BOOK AWARD, INSPIRATIONAL MEMOIR – MALE (BRONZE)
A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY & FOREWORD REVIEWS BOOK OF THE DAY • NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2023 BY ZED BOOK CLUB & INDIA CURRENTS • LA WEEKLY BOOK PICK • RECOMMENDED BY BOOK RIOT & ELECTRIC LITERATURE
A timely self-examination of the “mixed” American experience featuring exclusive recipes and photographs from the author’s multicultural family.
As citizens continue to evolve and diversify within the United States, the ingredients that make up each flavorful household are waiting to be discovered and devoured. In Colorful Palate, author Raj Tawney shares his coming-of-age memoir as a young man born into an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian-American family, his struggles with understanding his own identity, and the mouthwatering flavors of the melting pot from within his own childhood kitchen.
While the world outside can be cruel and unforgiving, it’s even more complicated for a mixed-race kid, unsure of his place in the world. Turning to his mother and grandmother for guidance, Tawney assists in the kitchen, providing intimate moments and candor as he listened to the tales behind each culinary delicacy and the women who perfected it. Each lovingly prepared meal offered another opportunity to learn more about his extraordinary heritage. The ability to create delicious fare with his family wasn’t just a duty for the grand ladies who raised him; it was a survival tactic for navigating new and unknown cultures, not always willing to accept them at first or even a hundredth glance. As Tawney examines both himself and his loved ones through the formative stages of his life, from boyhood through adulthood, he begins to realize, through all of the chaos and confusion, just how “American” he actually was.
In this contemporary coming-of-age tale, Tawney tackles personal hot-button issues about race and identity through poignant, heartfelt moments centered on delicious meals. From succulent tandoori chicken to delectable arroz con habichuelas to scrumptious spaghetti and meatballs, Tawney shares his family recipes along with the intimate stories he overheard in the kitchen as he played sous chef to hundreds of recipes that not only span continents but also come with their own personal histories attached. Colorful Palate is a tale of the mixed experience, one of the millions that rarely get told, undefined by a single group or birthright and unapologetic about its lack of classification.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: A Desi dad, a Puerto Rican/Italian mom...Raj is a bog-standard modern New Yorker. His family's families of origin are, well, not really compatible. His early life was spent with parents who were not effective at engagement with each other. This makes for a vacuum in a child's emotional growth. It did not, luckily, result in a food vacuum. His mother was a cook, and came from cultures with powerful culinary traditions.
Enter his grandmother and auntie. And, not coincidentally, delicious Desi food, Italian food, and Puerto Rican food as all points on his cultural compass were contributing to his maturing tastes. Not to mention he and his older brother were fully involved in the dominant US culture. Here's someone who came of age amid a lot of very, very powerful cultures, and has told us how this has molded him as a cook, and a person.
There are recipes in each chapter for dishes relevant to that chapter's substance, always at the end so easy to access. There are sixteen halftone illustrations to give you some extra flavor (!) of the author's life. I don't want you to thik it's a cookbook. I'd happily keep it in my cooking collection but I wouldn't suggest it for the cookbook collector.
You can definitely use the recipes, though, don't think they're pointless, ornamental ones. Just...more for a culture maven, one interested in society and the propagation of traditions in today's world, and anyone you know who is very interested in New York City, AND likes to adventure in the kitchen (but doably in the ingredients hunt!) will batten on this book.
Sample illustrations offered for your assessment:
Mom's parents being glam, 1957 at the Copacabana
Mom's Puerto Rican Mom and Italian Dad, 1957 wedding
Author and Mom, 1988
The author's immediate family, 1990
Author and maternal grandmother, 2018
Author and wife, Michelle, wedding day 2019
An American life, joined in progress, shared for our pleasure and our cultural broadening.
The Publisher Says: WINNER, 2024 BEST INDIE BOOK AWARD, CULINARY MEMOIR
WINNER, 2024 LIVING NOW BOOK AWARD, INSPIRATIONAL MEMOIR – MALE (BRONZE)
A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY & FOREWORD REVIEWS BOOK OF THE DAY • NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2023 BY ZED BOOK CLUB & INDIA CURRENTS • LA WEEKLY BOOK PICK • RECOMMENDED BY BOOK RIOT & ELECTRIC LITERATURE
A timely self-examination of the “mixed” American experience featuring exclusive recipes and photographs from the author’s multicultural family.
As citizens continue to evolve and diversify within the United States, the ingredients that make up each flavorful household are waiting to be discovered and devoured. In Colorful Palate, author Raj Tawney shares his coming-of-age memoir as a young man born into an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian-American family, his struggles with understanding his own identity, and the mouthwatering flavors of the melting pot from within his own childhood kitchen.
While the world outside can be cruel and unforgiving, it’s even more complicated for a mixed-race kid, unsure of his place in the world. Turning to his mother and grandmother for guidance, Tawney assists in the kitchen, providing intimate moments and candor as he listened to the tales behind each culinary delicacy and the women who perfected it. Each lovingly prepared meal offered another opportunity to learn more about his extraordinary heritage. The ability to create delicious fare with his family wasn’t just a duty for the grand ladies who raised him; it was a survival tactic for navigating new and unknown cultures, not always willing to accept them at first or even a hundredth glance. As Tawney examines both himself and his loved ones through the formative stages of his life, from boyhood through adulthood, he begins to realize, through all of the chaos and confusion, just how “American” he actually was.
In this contemporary coming-of-age tale, Tawney tackles personal hot-button issues about race and identity through poignant, heartfelt moments centered on delicious meals. From succulent tandoori chicken to delectable arroz con habichuelas to scrumptious spaghetti and meatballs, Tawney shares his family recipes along with the intimate stories he overheard in the kitchen as he played sous chef to hundreds of recipes that not only span continents but also come with their own personal histories attached. Colorful Palate is a tale of the mixed experience, one of the millions that rarely get told, undefined by a single group or birthright and unapologetic about its lack of classification.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: A Desi dad, a Puerto Rican/Italian mom...Raj is a bog-standard modern New Yorker. His family's families of origin are, well, not really compatible. His early life was spent with parents who were not effective at engagement with each other. This makes for a vacuum in a child's emotional growth. It did not, luckily, result in a food vacuum. His mother was a cook, and came from cultures with powerful culinary traditions.
Enter his grandmother and auntie. And, not coincidentally, delicious Desi food, Italian food, and Puerto Rican food as all points on his cultural compass were contributing to his maturing tastes. Not to mention he and his older brother were fully involved in the dominant US culture. Here's someone who came of age amid a lot of very, very powerful cultures, and has told us how this has molded him as a cook, and a person.
There are recipes in each chapter for dishes relevant to that chapter's substance, always at the end so easy to access. There are sixteen halftone illustrations to give you some extra flavor (!) of the author's life. I don't want you to thik it's a cookbook. I'd happily keep it in my cooking collection but I wouldn't suggest it for the cookbook collector.
You can definitely use the recipes, though, don't think they're pointless, ornamental ones. Just...more for a culture maven, one interested in society and the propagation of traditions in today's world, and anyone you know who is very interested in New York City, AND likes to adventure in the kitchen (but doably in the ingredients hunt!) will batten on this book.
Sample illustrations offered for your assessment:
Mom's parents being glam, 1957 at the Copacabana
Mom's Puerto Rican Mom and Italian Dad, 1957 wedding
Author and Mom, 1988
The author's immediate family, 1990
Author and maternal grandmother, 2018
Author and wife, Michelle, wedding day 2019
An American life, joined in progress, shared for our pleasure and our cultural broadening.
Read
July 29, 2024Read for neighbor book club
January 16, 2024
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Colorful Palate is a warmly written and appealing memoir of cross-cultural family roots and personal recollections growing up, written by Raj Tawney. Released 3rd Oct 2023 by Fordham University Press, it's 160 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is the best kind of culinary memoir: interesting and engaging stories and memories alongside well written concise and authentic family recipes scattered throughout. It's -not- a formally arranged cookbook, there aren't any instagram-worthy styled and finished dishes perfecly staged and lit, and the recipes which are included are incorporated into the text with their "origin stories". It gives the whole an authentic and friendly/appealing vibe, and the author is wonderful to read and clearly loves his family and is rightfully proud of his melting pot cultural upbringing.
The recipes which are included are written down just as a family friend or relative would relate them; written in bullet point lists, sometimes with approximate measures and suggested alternative ingredients or prep. Ingredient measures are provided with imperial (American) measurements, as well as a pinch of this, or add to taste.
The absolute humanity and humor of his writing, in a blended multicultural family, seems so refreshing in a time of stark American division over questions of race and affiliation. It's a beautiful book.
Five stars. A great choice for public or secondary school+ library acquisition, for fans of memoirs, and a must for foodies. It's not really a cookbook by any rigid definition of the word. It's is a lovely read and worth seeking out.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Colorful Palate is a warmly written and appealing memoir of cross-cultural family roots and personal recollections growing up, written by Raj Tawney. Released 3rd Oct 2023 by Fordham University Press, it's 160 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is the best kind of culinary memoir: interesting and engaging stories and memories alongside well written concise and authentic family recipes scattered throughout. It's -not- a formally arranged cookbook, there aren't any instagram-worthy styled and finished dishes perfecly staged and lit, and the recipes which are included are incorporated into the text with their "origin stories". It gives the whole an authentic and friendly/appealing vibe, and the author is wonderful to read and clearly loves his family and is rightfully proud of his melting pot cultural upbringing.
The recipes which are included are written down just as a family friend or relative would relate them; written in bullet point lists, sometimes with approximate measures and suggested alternative ingredients or prep. Ingredient measures are provided with imperial (American) measurements, as well as a pinch of this, or add to taste.
The absolute humanity and humor of his writing, in a blended multicultural family, seems so refreshing in a time of stark American division over questions of race and affiliation. It's a beautiful book.
Five stars. A great choice for public or secondary school+ library acquisition, for fans of memoirs, and a must for foodies. It's not really a cookbook by any rigid definition of the word. It's is a lovely read and worth seeking out.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
October 28, 2023
In "Colorful Palate," Raj Tawney shares his memoir as a mixed-race American, navigating his childhood and young adulthood in Long Islands suburbs in the 1990s. Tawney is part Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian, and his experiences mirror America’s increasingly diverse and multicultural society. Tawney relays his bouts with unkind classmates and feels out of place in predominantly Indian-American and White spaces. There are delightful moments of love and comfort, such as looking forward to visiting his grandmother or the memorable family trips to buffets. Meals with loved ones are nourishing on many levels. Tawney concludes each chapter with a family recipe, from Arroz con Habichuelas to Tandoori Chicken.
"Colorful Palate" is a delightful and honest look at the complexity of multiracial identities. As the Asian American mother of a bi-ethnic child, I read Tawney’s memoir with a lens of curiosity and understanding. Ethnic communities can often be insular. While Tawney situates his experiences firmly in New York, the narratives of struggling to fit in and not fully belonging are all too familiar. Tawney employs dry wit and self-deprecating humor in a memoir that bares his disappointments and joys. It is a quick and affirming memoir for readers who identify as multiracial, as well as allies and advocates of diversity.
"Colorful Palate" is a delightful and honest look at the complexity of multiracial identities. As the Asian American mother of a bi-ethnic child, I read Tawney’s memoir with a lens of curiosity and understanding. Ethnic communities can often be insular. While Tawney situates his experiences firmly in New York, the narratives of struggling to fit in and not fully belonging are all too familiar. Tawney employs dry wit and self-deprecating humor in a memoir that bares his disappointments and joys. It is a quick and affirming memoir for readers who identify as multiracial, as well as allies and advocates of diversity.
August 12, 2025
“The great experiment that is the United States has not been without its growing pains.” Within the first chapter, Raj Tawney sets the tone of his vivid memoir, “Colorful Palate.”
Tawney’s coming-of-age book navigates his mixed Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian-American heritage. He grapples with his identity while finding solace in his family's kitchen, where he learns about his heritage through cooking with his mother and grandmother. Each meal becomes a connection to his roots and a means of survival in a world not always accepting of his background. “Through vivid descriptions of his daily meals and the inclusion of recipes at the end of each chapter, readers become a part of his culinary and cultural exploration,” recounts guest reviewer @shrooots. The narrative becomes particularly captivating when it delves into his mother and grandmother's struggles and triumphs in navigating their identities within their families. Tawney's story is an intimate exploration of race and identity as he welcomes you into his family’s kitchen, allowing you to relive his journey of blending in.
Tawney’s coming-of-age book navigates his mixed Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian-American heritage. He grapples with his identity while finding solace in his family's kitchen, where he learns about his heritage through cooking with his mother and grandmother. Each meal becomes a connection to his roots and a means of survival in a world not always accepting of his background. “Through vivid descriptions of his daily meals and the inclusion of recipes at the end of each chapter, readers become a part of his culinary and cultural exploration,” recounts guest reviewer @shrooots. The narrative becomes particularly captivating when it delves into his mother and grandmother's struggles and triumphs in navigating their identities within their families. Tawney's story is an intimate exploration of race and identity as he welcomes you into his family’s kitchen, allowing you to relive his journey of blending in.
November 3, 2025
Colorful Palate is a memoir centered on the author's journey of using family meals to understand and accept his mixed-race identity. Each chapter centers on a specific dish made by his mother or grandmother at a pivotal moment in his life. He even adds those recipes at the end of each chapter.
This is an important story to tell, especially as a memoir, because it is the story of life in America. We are a country filled with uniquely different cultures, backgrounds, and traditions. The blending of these differences makes us who we are as a nation. This mixing of cultures creates who we are and defines much of our identity.
I will be honest and say that I was dissatisfied with the ending. It felt abrupt, like it needed one more chapter to round it all out and finish the story he was trying to tell. That unfinished feel at the end is why I chose a rating of 2 stars over 3.
This is an important story to tell, especially as a memoir, because it is the story of life in America. We are a country filled with uniquely different cultures, backgrounds, and traditions. The blending of these differences makes us who we are as a nation. This mixing of cultures creates who we are and defines much of our identity.
I will be honest and say that I was dissatisfied with the ending. It felt abrupt, like it needed one more chapter to round it all out and finish the story he was trying to tell. That unfinished feel at the end is why I chose a rating of 2 stars over 3.
December 12, 2023
'Colorful Palate' is a must-read for anyone who has lived the mixed-race experience (bonus points if you grew up in the 90s!). Raj shares his experience of growing up mixed race with humor and heart, and this book artfully addresses the complicated issue so many of us feel of "not fully belonging anywhere." His storytelling will leave you feeling like you've just had a great conversation with a friend, and his passion for his family shines through all of the recipes he includes at the end of each chapter. My girlfriend and I have tried out a couple of them and have loved what we've had so far!
December 16, 2023
Nice quick read that explores the complexities of a mixed-race identity through cuisine. Other than the author coming from a multiracial background (Indian, Puerto Rican, & Italian American), the basic scope of discovering identity through food didn't feel new to me. It could almost come across as the "stinky lunchbox" trope. I also felt like the plot was a little amorphous and I had a hard time telling where the story was going. The ending helped bring things home a little bit, but it was too abrupt. Overall, I enjoyed Tawney's writing and the recipes handed down from his family at the ends of each chapter.
January 10, 2025
As a multiracial person, I highly recommend this book! I just finished this beautiful book that shares stories of the author navigating his multiracial identity and connecting with all the parts of his heritage. It's a quintessentially American story, especially a New York City story, that has been told far too little. I especially loved the humor and humility that's woven throughout the book. He doesn't claim to have all the answers but in sharing his journey, he helps us find our own answers.
April 11, 2024
Lovely memoir about growing up in a mixed family and such a refreshing read in a genre that is often unfortunately dominated by pandering to those that want to read trauma. Raj's storytelling is none of those things but is matter of fact and down to earth which lends for a great read. Also, the inclusion of family recipes was such a nice touch and adds a layer of extra personality. All in all, I found jt very inspiring and heartwarming.
April 17, 2024
Raj’s story is both a unique and quintessential American story. It’s a story about cultures across generations crossing paths and forging new ones along the way. COLORFUL PALATE is filled with passion, honesty, humor, and uncommon insight about what it’s like to navigate between and among the different cultures that raise and shape you. The recipes are also brilliant! A periodic break from reading to try the recipes is highly recommended.
May 3, 2024
Colorful Palate paints a vivid portrait of Raj’s upbringing in a multicultural household. Told in an engaging, lively manner the book immediately draws you into the multiple identities of Raj’s family life. He aptly captures the idiosyncrasies of each heritage and the alienation he feels from them. This coming-of-age story of a boy, from diverse backgrounds who learned his family’s stories in the kitchen, ends each chapter with a delectable recipe. A must-read!
July 5, 2023
This is a lovely foodie memoir highlighting moments in Raj Tawney's life and associated food memories from his Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian American family. It's a quick but meaningful and immersive read, and I love that Tawney included so many recipes written in a way that feels like they were passed down from relatives. If you love books about food, you won't be disappointed.
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