Soul Food For Thought

Food is a central part of most cultures and people-group histories. It is no different for African-Americans. Soul Food is derived from African cooking traditions, Southern comfort food, and the parameters that slavery in the United States imposed – cooking leftovers and unwanted animal parts from slave owners’ kitchens.

Foods such as black-eyed peas, collard greens and sweet potatoes…biscuits, hoecakes and spoon bread…chitterlings and chicken – are well-known dishes from African-American historical cuisine. Fat, salt and sugar were widely used for seasoning because it was readily available. Salt was also a commonly used preservative since there was no refrigeration.

Gathering for meals, especially for holidays, is another common tradition which is also a rich part of African-American heritage. Recipes were handed from person to person, down from generation to generation, at first without the benefit of measuring utensils or being able to write down these recipes.

“One must first praise the farmer for a job well done before asking him for a yam.”
~African proverb

Hoppin John Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound dry black-eyed peas
2 cups chopped cooked ham
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch garlic powder
2 onions, diced
okra (optional)

Directions
Place black-eyed peas in 8 quart pot. Add enough water to fill pot 3/4 full. Stir in ham and diced onions, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place tomatoes in a blender or food processor, and blend until the tomatoes are liquefied. Bring all ingredients to boil. Cover the pot, and simmer on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the peas are tender (optional: add okra the last hour of cooking time). Serve over rice.

Bitter-Sweet

Celebrating Black History Month

Michele Hoskins is an African-American owner and founder of Michele Foods, Inc., a multi-million dollar company that produces Honey Crème Syrup, Butter Pecan Syrup, and Maple Crème Syrup, Michele's Hoskins is also the author of Sweet Expectations: Michele Hoskins’ Recipe for Success.

Starting out as a divorced mother of three, with only her dreams and her great-grandmother’s recipe, Michele’s perseverance and eventual success serves as a model to any entrepreneur not to give up on their dreams. Her story, of which excerpts can be found at http://www.michelefoods.com/, is an encouragement to all who read it. Bitter beginnings can have sweet expectations.

Here’s a pancake recipe you can try with Michele’s Syrup

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 Vanilla Yogurt
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the yogurt, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Ann Fudge

In February Black History Month is observed. The beginnings of this observance came about when Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson wanted to raise awareness of African-Americans’ contributions to civilization. Woodson and the organization he founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), announced Negro History week in 1925.

“Carter G. Woodson believed that publishing scientific history would transform race relations by dispelling the wide-spread falsehoods about the achievements of Africans and peoples of African descent. He hoped that others would popularize the findings that he and other black intellectuals would publish in The
Journal of Negro History, which he established in 1916.” ~ The History of Black History Month http://www.asalh.org/blackhistorymonthorigins.html

I’d like to point out the success of one African-American as it relates to the food industry.

Ann Fudge grew up in Washington, D.C. After the riots following the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ann became determined, and “wanted to do something that black people hadn't done before.”

She graduated from Simmons College in 1973 and worked in the human resources department of General Electric, before pursuing an MBA at Harvard Business School. After obtaining her MBA at Harvard in 1977, Mrs. Fudge spent nine years at General Mills, during which time her biggest accomplishment was marketing assistant for Honey Nut Cheerios. Today, it is one of the nation’s biggest cereal brands. From General Mills, Mrs. Fudge went to serve as president of the beverages, desserts and Post division, a $5 billion unit of Kraft Foods. At Kraft she mangaged many businesses including Maxwell House coffee, Gevalia kaffe, Kool Aid, Crystal Light, Post Cereals, Jell-O desserts, and Altoids.

In early 2010, Ann Fudge was named by President Obama to the bipartisan 18-member fiscal responsibility and reform commission. She has and currently continues to serve on boards of several for-profit and non-profit corporations.