We often take for granted the wonder and enchantment of mouth-watering soul food as we sit down to grandma's Sunday dinner of golden roasted chicken, collard greens with ham hocks, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. But sometimes we need to think back to the history of that scrumptious food—that flava—and how it made its way to America.

 

“Our flava reaches back across the water to West Africa and beyond,” explains Jonell Nash, former food editor at Essence magazine, and author of Essence Brings You Great Cooking and Low-Fat Soul. Ms. Nash is one of the judges for the America I AM Pass It Down Cookbook Recipe Contest. “Cooking techniques and taste-memory traveled in our thoughts and in our hearts as we made the arduous journey to this country in shackles. Soul food was born in the slave quarters of Southern plantations as our ancestors pieced together amazing meals, mainly from scraps and leftovers.”

 

The concept of leftovers takes on a new meaning when we think about our ancestral heritage. “After choice portions were selected for the “master’s” table, the remaining neck bones, hocks, tails, and tough cuts, along with cornmeal, molasses, lard, and other staples, were then rationed to the workers,” says Nash. “Our ancestors supplemented their makeshift pantries with produce from their gardens, along with seafood and game caught in local waters and nearby woods.” Greens, okra, sweet peppers, corn, lima beans, shrimp, crawfish, catfish, possum, and rabbit became the makings of flavorful spreads that held together body, mind, and spirit. In those painful days of our history, a satisfying meal was one of the few joys, says Nash. “So much care was given to the preparation. Then, as now, our food witnessed the stories in our lives—christenings, rites of passage, anniversaries, and wakes.”

 

When we sit down to bless the dinner table, we also want to offer up blessings for the ancestors who were the original culinary architects of the food we treasure. So we ask America I AM and Good Cook members to keep in mind the history of our soul-filled cuisine and the history of their own unique family food imprint. The America I AM Pass It Down Cookbook will be as much a book of shared memories as it is a collection of delicious recipes. It’s time to tell the story behind your family’s recipes and share them with the world!

 

Don’t forget, all contest entries must be submitted online at www.passitdowncookbook.com or mailed to SmileyBooks by September 31, 2009.

 

 

Follow Chef Jeff and the Pass It Down Cookbook on Twitter for good cooking tips and ways to transform traditional soul food family recipes into heart-healthy meals: http://twitter.com/Passitdown