What better way to end Black History Month than to talk about one of the greatest aspects of our culture (in my opinion at least)?
Of course, I'm talking about SOUL FOOD!!!
I grew up in the traditional, Southern Baptist household, so soul food was a major part of my upbringing. You can say that it's in my blood and embedded into my soul. Nothing to me is more comforting than to go back home and, especially after church on Sunday, enjoy a plate of homemade comfort food.
So what exactly is soul food? In the traditional sense, it's food that, in the African-American community, derives from meals made of scraps and leftovers that slaves got from their masters. Often times, it was the fatty and least desired pieces of meat and vegetables the slaves grew themselves. Usually, people think of soul food as fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens with ham hocks and neckbones, turkey wings smothered in gravy, rice and beans, chitterlings, cornbread, etc.
But let's expand our thinking just a little bit; soul food can really be any Southern comfort food that warms your heart and soul. So think of food like pecan pie, sweet potato pie, gumbo, jambalaya, hush puppies...other dishes that are highly popular in the south. I consider this to be soul food as well. Really, anything you cook from your heart and soul is "soul food" to me, but that's another conversation for another day.
Now, usually, soul food is linked to the idea of being unhealthy. Again, soul food derives from the part of the animals that no one wanted, so usually they were extremely fatty and high in sodium. But that doesn't mean we can't change the narrative now. You can still make soul food without making it such an unhealthy dish, yet still be delicious. That is actually how I got my start in cooking; I would take old family favorite soul food dishes and I'd try to find ways to make them healthier and more flavorful. Over the years, I've mastered making my popular cinnamon-honey cornbread, collard greens (with bacon or without, it still packs a kick), macaroni and cheese, oven-fried chicken wings, and oxtails (I love me some good oxtails). These will be some of the recipes that I share this week (I gotta keep the family secret recipes a secret now).
One thing to note that makes soul food stand out, especially to black people, is the flavor and the seasoning! PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FOOD IS SEASONED!! Salt and pepper does NOT cut it; you gotta add a little more. What you add is up to you, but you got to add something. Personally, I like to use FlavorGod seasonings (you should definitely check them out). But you can add whatever you want to infuse a little extra punch of flavor into the dish.
We about the love of soul food, as long as it comes from the heart and soul!
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