Cooking Soul Food

Southern Deep Fried Chicken. Black-Eyed Peas.  Spice up your dinner table with flavorful selections from the spirited side of South American cuisine.

Soul food has its roots in African American history, and is in its own right, a testament of the struggle and the survival of the African American people.  As slaves, African Americans had adapted the leftovers of the plantation house and the wild game and plants from their surroundings to create a cuisine that is full of flavor and rich in cultural history.  Kale, beets, turnips and even dandelion were used regularly.  Great attention was put to making sure food does not go to waste.  Leftovers were recycled into new dishes, and discarded animal parts were turned into savory meals. 

It was common for young girls to be extremely proficient in cooking, preparing wild animals, and even planting their own gardens for sustenance.  Women would work sixteen to eighteen hours a day, and then return home to prepare the evening meal.  After the long and strenuous hours of work, evening was a time to sit around the table, and share stories and history over a warm plate of spicy soul food.     

Spice and pungent flavor are a soul food trademark.  Spices such as ginger, sweet paprika, chili, cayenne, black and white peppers, sweet basil, onion, and garlic all contribute to the authentic soul flavor.  Experimentation is key when it comes to how much should be used.
 
As slaves were forbidden to read and write, African American cooking was a tradition passed down orally from generation to generation, and only after the abolition of slavery were the traditional recipes finally compiled in written form.