This is the month we acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of black Americans.

I thought it fitting to pay tribute to some culinary giants of color, who have beaten the odds by slicing, stirring and sauteing their way to the top.

Lets start in Fells Point, where you will find chef Timothy Dean, owner of the Timothy Dean Bistro, a warm, inviting restaurant that symbolizes his values, dreams and passions.

A natural-born chef, Dean refined his craft working in prestigious restaurants in New York, California and France.

Along the way he has earned awards and accolades for his creative use of fresh, local ingredients in recipes that reflect the best of American and French cuisine.

I had the pleasure of working with Dean at the 2007 Baltimore Chefs and Wine Experience at the Tremont hotel last summer.

His recipe for curried mussels was just about one of the most delicious I have ever tasted. But don't take my word for it.

Visit the Timothy Dean Bistro and try a steaming bowl for yourself.

The "Queen of Creole Cuisine," as chef Leah Chase is known, still reigns in New Orleans well into her 80s.

She is executive chef and owner of the famed Dooky Chase Restaurant. Chase is known for her hospitality.

"I entertain them here the way I would at home, ... and I don't serve anything I don't like," Chase has been known to say.

Named after her musician husband, the Dooky Chase Restaurant has been a New Orleans institution since the 1940s.

It was the place that prominent politicians, entertainers and musicians gathered for bowls of gumbo and fried chicken and to talk into the wee hours of the morning.

The restaurant sustained damage during Hurricane Katrina but is making a comeback. You can find some of Leah Chase's recipes in The Dooky Chase Cookbook, And Still I Cook and Down Home Healthy.

Her recipe for Low-Sodium Creole Oven-Fried Chicken has all the flavor without the salt.

Last, but not least, I'd like to pay tribute to the late Edna Lewis, the "Grand Dame of Southern Cuisine."

The granddaughter of freed slaves, she rose to the stature of international culinary superstar. Her cookbooks are credited with reviving the genre of refined Southern cuisine.

Lewis was born and raised on a family farm in Freetown, Va., where growing, harvesting and cooking with fresh foods was a way of life.

Steeped in Southern tradition, her tried-and-true recipes are superb. While her food is simple and uncomplicated, she would be the first to say that there are no shortcuts. You either do it the right way or don't do it at all!

She wrote her last cookbook, The Gift of Southern Cuisine, with her protege, Scott Peacock, when she was 87 years old. Her recipe for 13-bean soup is tasty, economical and a perfect antidote for a frosty February day.unisun@baltsun.com

Sandra Pinckney, a former host of "Food Finds" on the Food Network, is now a contributor to "Daily Cafe" on "Retirement Living TV," a Comcast Network show for baby boomers.

Edna Lewis' 13-Bean Soup

Serves 4-6

1/2 cup dried black beans, washed and picked over

2 cups packaged 13-bean soup mix, washed and picked over

1 pound smoked pork shoulder, or meaty ham bone

1 medium onion

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

freshly ground black pepper

3 quarts cold water

1 cup fresh or canned tomatoes -- peeled, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup good sherry

salt

In a large kettle, cover beans with water, refrigerate and soak overnight.

The next day, drain beans, add pork or ham bone, onion, thyme, bay leaf, pepper and cold water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to simmer. Reduce heat and keep at a simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

Cool, and remove onion, ham bone and fat. Cut meat into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Add tomatoes and olive oil.

Put half the mixture in a blender and blend until almost smooth, but not liquified. Add the pureed soup and meat to whole bean mixture. To serve, stir in sherry and reheat. Ladle into warm soup bowls.

Per serving (based on 6 servings, 6.3 ounces): 453 calories, 18 grams protein, 21 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 50 grams carbohydrates, 65 milligrams sodium

Leah Chase's Low-Sodium Creole Oven-Fried Chicken

Serves 4-5

1 frying chicken

white pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

vegetable cooking spray

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove skin from chicken. Cut chicken into pieces and season with white pepper.

Place flour in bag or bowl. Mix in thyme, paprika and garlic. Shake chicken in flour mixture. Remove chicken and shake off excess flour. Spray baking pan with cooking spray. Place chicken in pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until done.

Per serving (based on 5 servings, 10.4 ounces): 544 calories, 70 grams protein, 18 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 20 grams carbohydrates, 203 milligrams sodium