Sweet Potato Bisque
Earlier this year I was looking in my cabinet, trying to decide what I would prepare for my meal. I was craving something warm and comforting to take the edge off the chill in the air but wanted a light meal. I decided to use my sweet potatoes and...
Miss Vivian’s Tea Cakes – Gluten-Free Version
The story of Miss Vivian’s Tea Cakes is not my own, but the beautiful memory my friend and fellow author Dera R. Williams shares in her blog Vanilla Memories. Dera discusses her childhood memories of her grandmother serving sweet tea and tea cakes on the porch in Arkansas. She...
My Grandmother’s Peanut Brittle
My Paternal Grandmother and I had a great relationship. We laughed, we played, we created, we cuddled, we swam, we laughed some more, we ate, we talked and we baked. What sticks out most to me was time we spent In My Grandmother’s Kitchen*. Most people remember my Grandmother’s...
Jambalaya
This last October I took the most amazing course, “Shared Soul: A Culinary Journey with Michael Twitty.” Not only was the course fantastic, being able to listen to Michael Twitty share African history through food was enlightening. In order to prepare for the last class we made Jollof Rice...
Not My Aunt’s Peach Cobbler
Peach Cobbler with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust Growing up I literally had the best aunt in the world. My Maternal Aunt, Aunt Jackie as I always called her, was the most calm and sweet person. Her wide smile followed by, “Hi Baby,” when I’d walk in the room would just...
Not My Cousin’s Potato Salad
I made potato salad for the first time, then broke the rules and brought it to a potluck. When I grew up there was only one person who made potato salad at family gatherings, that was my cousin Karen. I have no real recollection of who made it before...
It’s What’s Left: Chicken Chorizo Stew
I grew up in a “Waste not want not” household. If one of us looked in the refrigerator and said, ‘There’s nothing to eat,” ultimately an adult in the household found plenty. One of my favorite childhood breakfasts came from what was left in the refrigerator. If there was...