الثلاثاء، 21 أبريل 2015

Searching For A Soul Food Caterer

By Stella Gay


A cuisine that dates back to the time before the emancipation of the slaves is gaining in popularity. Slaves were given certain rations by their owners and supplemented these with vegetables they grew themselves. This simple style of cooking designed for survival managed to find its way through generations. A soul food caterer will serve up some of these classic recipes. Old favorites like fried chicken, stone grits, and collard greens can be found on the menus of caterers found in East Windsor, NJ, and other cities.

Some of the staples that featured in the meals of early slaves were corn, molasses, salt and flour. They would grow their own vegetables on small plots. Collard greens and handmade biscuits with molasses are just some recipes with these humble beginnings, but they are still finding their way onto menus in casual eateries and even fine restaurants. This food represents more than just ingredients and a way of cooking but celebration of a heritage too.

The way these recipes were passed on was not in written form but orally. It was only in later years that cookbooks were produced and only more recently that they have become available to more people. With a focus on the family and celebratory family gatherings, these recipes retain their down to earth goodness.

This type of cuisine is well known for its intensity of flavors with the use of many spices. This is one of the ways in which it can be differentiated from Southern cuisine, according to some people who regard Southern cuisine as offering gentler flavors. Another way to distinguish it is in the way proteins are used such as serving whole fish and cuts of meat like neck bones and feet instead of more processed ones.

This cooking is also marked by a lack of wastage. This goes back to the days of slavery when every little bit of flavor needed to be squeezed out of what was available, even if it was leftover meat. Stale bread was used to create delicious puddings, pies were made from overripe fruit and remains of a whole fish would be used for croquets or hush puppies.

Like most culinary traditions, African-American cooking has its healthy and unhealthy elements. With the popularity of fast foods and the addition of much fat, sugar and salt, some of these classic foods became very unhealthy. This tended to give people the false impression that eating soul foods automatically lead to obesity. In fact, those early recipes contained little protein and plenty of vegetables. Many caterers offering these foods today are health conscious and offer food that is nutritious and full of flavor. They tend to use spices, garlic, onions and herbs to create the intensity of flavor.

For many families who eat this type of food, Sunday dinner is a time when they all gather together. Dishes like kale, yams, collard greens, fried chicken, and ribs are made with love and care. The families cement their bonds when eating these dishes and remember their roots together.

Finding caterers who offer this type of cuisine is not difficult and many of them have online websites. They are committed to creating dishes with passion and patience. They offer delicious meals that keep their customers coming back for more.




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