I really enjoyed this book. I was not familiar with Josephine Jones and enjoyed learning about her. This book is mostly culinary photographs with some descriptive text. The food reflects the time when they were created so they are a little dated. Enjoy

I must be honest, this was not at all my kind of book. I anticipated far more appealing and attractive food, this was like a rehash of a 70's family cookbook... and why on earth would you do that?

#TheCulinaryArtPortfolioofJosephineEJones #NetGalley

In a time before Instagram, a woman that defeated all odds was creating amazingly photogenic works of art with food because "If the food didn't look good, no one was going to even taste it."

More than the photographs of beautifully crafted meals, though, is the inclusion of motherly advice and the obvious adoration the author holds for her mother. It is a heartwarming touch that adds to the charm of this particular work of art.

A beautiful tribute to a mother’s life. Wendy Jones has gifted us with a fitting tribute in stunning pictures and loving word. A pioneer at Kraft Foods not only as a woman but one of African descent in a time when the nation was finding its footing in social justice. A document of history and a feast for the artistic eye. A treasure of a book.

The Culinary Art Portfolio of Josephine E Jones is a coffee table art book and homage to food artist and manager at Kraft, Josephine Jones, written by her daughter, Wendy Jones. Due out 20th May, it's 71 pages and will be available in paperback format.

The book's 16 full page color photographs are perforated for framing. Each photograph is accompanied by a short commentary including some preparation information (not recipes, specifically), and recollections from the author about the photographs and her mother's career with Standard Brands (now Kraft Foods).

The book is quite interesting from a food styling and history perspective. The photographs, which date from 1977, are professionally rendered but very much a product of the time period. I enjoyed seeing some of the elaborate and artistic fruit arrangements and sculptures. It's a lovely book full of elegant photographs, but I imagine it would have very limited re-readability.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Inspirational Food Art

What a gift daughter Wendy Jones has given us by sharing a few photographs of her mother Josephine's culinary creations. In the introduction, the author shares how the series of photographs came about. Her mother was the employee cafeteria supervisor for what is now Kraft Foods in New York City. When the cafeteria moved to a new floor, it needed art on the walls, but they couldn't find anything suitable. So she crafted culinary art, which was then photographed by a pro. These photographs then hung in the new employee cafeteria. Josephine certainly had an eye for color and balance, and a unique flair for the dramatic. The Apple Birds especially impressed me; the woman had some serious paring knife skills! The author states most of what her mother created was crafted using just a paring knife and a meat slicer (how she got paper-thin slices of food she could then manipulate into shapes). While this is not a cookbook, the author does share the ingredients in each picture as well as her thoughts about how her mother created the photo and sometimes a story about it. If you're a foodie like I am, you might find yourself becoming a little more creative in your food presentation after reading this book like I have. Highly recommended book to simply savor.

This book contains a collection of 16 pictures of Jones with details for each along with anecdotes to art and her take on food art and life.

The pictures were taken in 1977 by John Turner and the food was done by Josephine E. Jones. Both worked for the company that is today called Kraft: Turner as their professional photographer and Jones as the employee cafeteria supervisor. The book notes that Jones “may have been the first black woman in management at a Fortune 500 company.”

The works were printed as art on the walls on the cafeteria. Looking at these pictures is like stepping back in time. The book was compiled by Jones daughter, and I think, a loving tribute to her talented mother. Each photo has the ingredients of the whatever dish is showcased on the next page along with the process which could be anything from her mother’s food notes, a funny story, or a historical note.

A great book looking back in time to what was haute cuisine a generation ago, and praise to a talented and respected black voice in the culinary world.

This is not a cookbook, it is a book of food photography and is a companion piece to "An Extraordinary Life: Josephine E. Jones" although they can be read separately. The physical copy allows you to take the pictures out and hang them.

I was unfamiliar with the life and work of Josephine E. Jones but after seeing some of the amazing plating she did I want to learn more. The photography featured in this book is perfect for vintage food lovers.

The Culinary Art Portfolio of Josephine E. Jones offers a look into the artistry of Josephine E. Jones, one of the first African American women to own a fortune 500 company. The image showcase Jones' expertise as a chef and offers the reader a glimpse into culinary trends of the mid-20th century. The images are accompanied by educational text written by Jones' daughter. This would be a great reference book for anyone interested in culinary history or modern culinary arts. The only unfortunate aspect is the yellowing of the photos--as most older photographs do, the images have a yellow tone throughout which makes the reader question the accuracy of the photographs.

Whilst this is a lovely book, I do feel this is a commemorative book for a family member.
The book shows some wonderful pictures of food from the 70's, showing the social history of America at that time. But it also draws on the history of the culinary artist too, being possible one of the first black female managers in the US at that time for a Fortune 500 company.
I'm not too sure whether it is really a book that people will frame the pictures of now? I feel it needed far more content and perhaps should have stuck to a coffee table book format.

A very sweet and loving book but not really my style photography-wise. The actual pieces are great and sound amazing. I'm just not a fan of the photographs. I feel like they don't do the pieces justice.

**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

The pictures were great, and brought back memories of growing up and eating at my grandmother's house.

This book isn't for everybody, but would be a great coffee table book or a nice gift to the foodie/chef/photographer in your life.

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.

Ms. Josephine E. Jones not only knows how to cook but also how to present the food to make it more appetizing even to the pickiest of picky eaters. Her creations are interesting, showing such character and creativity. I enjoyed reading this book with the catchy, curious title. I sure would want to read more about Ms. Jones' creations!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ida Bell Publishing, LLC for providing this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

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.

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.

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.

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.