The editors of a cookbook that promotes “rage baking” are under fire for co-opting the idea of an African American blogger whom they failed to credit, the Washington Post reports.
Kathy Gunst and Katherine Alford edited the new cookbook Rage Baking: The Transformative Power of Flour, Fury, and Women's Voices, which was published by Tiller Press on Feb. 4. “Timely, fun, and creative, this cookbook speaks to both skilled and beginner bakers who are looking for new ways to use their sweetest skills to combine food and activism,” the publisher says on a webpage for the book.
The term “rage baking” was coined by blogger Tangerine Jones in 2015. In an essay published on Medium, Jones says that she’s disappointed not to be credited by the editors of the cookbook.
“Why wasn’t I acknowledged for my efforts or contacted?” Jones writes. “Why did they choose Rage Baking as the title of the book when it was clear Rage Baking was taken on all social media and I’d been the top hit for Rage Baking for years?”
In an interview with the Washington Post, the editors admitted they were aware of Jones’ project before they wrote the book.
“Obviously, I’ve had a lot of deep reflection about this,” Alford said. “Doing a book like this, we knew we were going to open up a lot of hard conversations, and here we are. We’re very willing to have conversations.”
Michael Schaub is an Austin, Texas–based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
