As February draws along, I'd love to honor Black History Month. Despite my diverse family background, much of my heart belongs to the South. I enjoyed cornbread, greens with pot liquor, fried catfish, gumbo, hush puppies, BBQ, fried okra, and black-eyed peas. I had bits of the South right at my table: places like my grandma's native Tennessee and my grandpa's native Florida. I was born in Houston, and while some say Texas isn't technically the South, I consider it one gateway to the South. Potato, Pota-toe! Despite the geography, as a region, Southerners continue to share influential food that we honor today.
Slavery was the original sin of our Nation's History and of the South's history and, thankfully, ended after the Civil War. One of the many gifts the influx of people taken from different regions in Africa introduced was the flavor they gave to the Southern soul of America. Their cultural influences in food, rhythm, blues, and soul music have withstood the test of time, not to mention their art and language and, ultimately, their advancements in science, literature, and sports. I remember we worshipped and thanked the Lord every Sunday for our food, then ate a big Southern meal with loved ones. My takeaway: When you cook with love, you give love. The comfort it brought to the table has crossed oceans, bounded, shackled, and held tight with every prayer. With this understanding in mind, I can see the ugliness and the beauty of our Nation's History.
Today, I continue to cook traditional Southern dishes, which remind me of my family history. I thank the wise folks from Powder Springs, Georgia that showed my elders how to cook the beautiful food we continue to love. Without Black History's contributions, there wouldn't be flavor, spice, music, authors, poetry, etc. So, extend some love this February because, in the words of Boys II Men, "Loving you is like food to my soul."
Chicken and Cheddar Waffles
Crab Mac & Cheese
Chicken & Dumplings
Fried Chicken