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| Photo courtesy of Pearl's Place Restaurant website http://www.pearlsplacerestaurant.com/ |
By Michel Harris, MS, RD, LDN, CDE
This
month, The Awakening Center has invited its clientele and followers (and future
clientele and followers) to celebrate Black History Month, as we continue on our
“Awaken to Action” mission. Originally, this recognition of achievements by
black Americans spanned one selected week in February but was fittingly expanded
to the whole month in 1970. Official recognition came in 1976 by President
Gerald Ford, and soul food feasts are very popular as part of the celebration. Many
of my clients find soul food challenging because of the cooking methods used to
prepare several of the popular menu items and the plethora of side dishes and
desserts.
While
soul food usually conjures up thoughts of fried chicken, biscuits, macaroni and
cheese, and sweet potato pie, I first challenge all of you to learn more about
the origins of this cuisine! Currently, most of us live in a world in which
food choices are vast and unlimited. When traced back to slavery, and the
period of time after it was abolished, soul food represents what African
Americans did to make the best of what was available. This included the
leftover, undesirable cuts of meat from their plantation masters, and later on,
vegetables from home gardens and items obtained via farming, hunting, and
fishing. Black-eyed peas, various types of beans and green vegetables, and
sweet potatoes serve as ingredients in many soul food recipes. Red pepper
flakes, garlic and onion and chili powders, paprika, and thyme are typically
used to season soul food.
Now,
for the second challenge, find a soul food restaurant or prepare some recipes
at home for a special themed lunch or dinner to celebrate Black History Month. Recommended
restaurants in the Chicago area and surrounding suburbs include
- Buck’s (1700 West Division Street)
- Chicago’s Home of Chicken and Waffles (3947 South King Drive)
- Luella’s Southern Kitchen (4609 North Lincoln Avenue)
- Pearl’s (5352 North Broadway Street)
- Pearl’s Place (3901 South Michigan Avenue)
- 6978 Soul Food (6978 North Avenue)
- Wishbone Restaurant (1001 West Washington Boulevard)
- Wishbone North (3300 North Lincoln Avenue)
If
you want to prepare your own feast, the website Soul Food & Southern Cooking has
numerous recipes or find a cookbook at your local library. Deviled eggs, fried
or blackened fish or chicken, gumbo, jambalaya, greens, cornbread, macaroni and
cheese, and fruit cobblers are just a few of the delicious options.
Keep
in mind that most ethnic cuisines are a mix of foods with different nutrient
profiles. Acceptance of all foods makes for a healthy relationship with food!
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