Prior to emancipation, the slaves prepared foods from a few staples, vegetables they grew themselves and leftover proteins. They passed these recipes down orally and future generations prepared them, improved them and passed them on. Today some of these classic recipes appear menus in towns all over America. A soul food caterer offers many favorites and those in East Windsor, NJ provide some of the best.
The slaves were usually given staples such as molasses, salt, corn and flour. They also had small plots where they grew vegetables like okra and mustard greens. Protein was scarce and they made use of every part of an animal like a pig, from its ears to its feet. Leftovers were often used to give a vegetable dish some meaty flavor. Recipes with these humble beginnings have been improved through the years and now feature proudly on menus of not only casual eateries but more upmarket ones too.
It was illegal for slaves to read or write so recipes were passed down orally. One of the first cookbooks written about this type of cuisine was published in 1881 and recently many more have been written. The focus is often on family and recipes for family occasions, celebrating the value of sharing.
One of the characteristics of this cuisine is intense flavors. There is often a debate about the difference between this cuisine and Southern cuisine and the answer appears to lie in the amount of spices used. Meats and fish are less processed when making soul food. A whole fish is often served and less desirable meat such as neck bones, pigs feet and chitlins feature.
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.
This type of cuisine is often regarded as unhealthy. People feel it contains too much fat, sugar and salt, a toxic combination. However, the original recipes were hardly guilty of this and in fact often consisted largely of vegetables with meat often being used sparingly. Restaurant chefs and caterers offering this type of food today are aware of health considerations. They use different methods of preparation and stick to fresh healthy ingredients without losing any of the flavors which they intensify with garlic, herbs, onion and spices.
The Sunday meal is often an occasion when all the family members gather together. Dishes are contributed by all and often hark back to traditional roots, celebrating their heritage. On the laden dinner table, one might find ribs, fried chicken, corn, okra, kale, collard greens and yams.
Caterers offering this type of cuisine are not hard to find today with many of them offering their services on websites. Checking customer reviews and other details on such a site can give a good indication of the reputation and quality of service of such caterers. The best of these create their foods with passion and patience, offering delicious menus that keep customers very happy.
The slaves were usually given staples such as molasses, salt, corn and flour. They also had small plots where they grew vegetables like okra and mustard greens. Protein was scarce and they made use of every part of an animal like a pig, from its ears to its feet. Leftovers were often used to give a vegetable dish some meaty flavor. Recipes with these humble beginnings have been improved through the years and now feature proudly on menus of not only casual eateries but more upmarket ones too.
It was illegal for slaves to read or write so recipes were passed down orally. One of the first cookbooks written about this type of cuisine was published in 1881 and recently many more have been written. The focus is often on family and recipes for family occasions, celebrating the value of sharing.
One of the characteristics of this cuisine is intense flavors. There is often a debate about the difference between this cuisine and Southern cuisine and the answer appears to lie in the amount of spices used. Meats and fish are less processed when making soul food. A whole fish is often served and less desirable meat such as neck bones, pigs feet and chitlins feature.
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.
This type of cuisine is often regarded as unhealthy. People feel it contains too much fat, sugar and salt, a toxic combination. However, the original recipes were hardly guilty of this and in fact often consisted largely of vegetables with meat often being used sparingly. Restaurant chefs and caterers offering this type of food today are aware of health considerations. They use different methods of preparation and stick to fresh healthy ingredients without losing any of the flavors which they intensify with garlic, herbs, onion and spices.
The Sunday meal is often an occasion when all the family members gather together. Dishes are contributed by all and often hark back to traditional roots, celebrating their heritage. On the laden dinner table, one might find ribs, fried chicken, corn, okra, kale, collard greens and yams.
Caterers offering this type of cuisine are not hard to find today with many of them offering their services on websites. Checking customer reviews and other details on such a site can give a good indication of the reputation and quality of service of such caterers. The best of these create their foods with passion and patience, offering delicious menus that keep customers very happy.
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