Magick of Soul Food with Desiree Draine
Join us for a class highlighting a vegetarian soul food meal taught by Desiree Draine. This take on a traditional soul food meal is perfect for Sunday dinner and uses Desiree's favorite recipes inspired by her grandmother's cooking. The menu includes:
- Country Fried Portabella Mushrooms with homemade gravy
- Baked Sweet Potatoes with cinnamon sugar compound butter
- Southern Kachumbari made with cucumber, sweet onion, tomato, and seasonings
- Sauteed Green Cabbage with green pepper, onion, and spices
About the instructor:
"My grandmother taught me that food is about a lot more than eating, it is love and living history. The true magick of soul food is that meals I ate as a child are linked to generations before me and I find that to be a huge form of wellness. My self-care starts in my SoCo Kitchen where I can make almost anything that sounds tasty. When I was a kid, my Grandma always had something good cooked up and I got to help. To me, it was special because these "things" like flour and eggs, turned into pancakes and omelets with her magick spoon and bowl.
As an adult, her recipes constantly have me in the kitchen ready to make my own magick. I have learned so much that cooking has become a sort of meditation and one of my daily rituals. No matter how much time I have, there is always time to eat well".
20 minutes
4 servings
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the cabbage, onions, bell peppers and seasonings.
- Cook for a few minutes then add the vegetable broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes.
Notes from Desiree:
From as far as I can remember, cabbage has been magickal because you can spend less than five dollars and get a pan full of tender, delicious greens that pair well with anything or stand alone as a main with cornbread.
While the southern version has a ham hock as flavoring in the broth, you can swap it for a pantry broth or smoked salt with delicious results.
15 minutes
4 servings
- Chop or slice cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion in a medium bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients to make the vinaigrette.
- Pour dressing over cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion then toss lightly.
- Serve immediately or chill before serving.
Notes from Desiree:
This is a simple cucumber and tomato salad that is popular in East Africa. When I was little this dish was always present because it's tasty on its own and goes very well with savory and spicy dishes. The magick here is you can add anything you like such as dill and avocado.
While kachumbari is diced like a relish (think pico de gallo), the southern version is chopped larger like a modern salad. The peppers are all about your preference. It can be a jalapeno, scotch bonnet, or just a bell pepper. Soaking the onions for 15 minutes or so in cold water will help to mellow the sharpness.
50 minutes
4 servings
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork.
- Bake until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool, then split the tops open with a knife and top with a pat of butter.
- Season with salt and pepper or cinnamon sugar before serving.
Notes from Desiree:
The magick here is simple, you do it your own way. Try one topped with a big pat of butter and some salt and pepper or sweeten it up with a little cinnamon sugar.
The holes help to reduce baking time and ensure they won't burst by making steam vents. Try wrapping with foil to make the sweet potatoes steam more than bake. Make a compound butter by whipping softened butter with your chosen spices then re-chill.
30 minutes
4 servings
- Combine 3 tablespoons milk and egg whites in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk.
- Combine 1/3 cup flour and onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a shallow dish.
- Working with 1 steak at a time, dip in egg mixture then dredge in flour mixture. Repeat with remaining steaks.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove steaks from the pan and keep warm.
- Add vegetable broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then add 2 1/2 tablespoons flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Spoon over steaks.
Notes from Desiree:
My grandma taught me that this simple dish is like the German/Austrian dish, Weiner schnitzel, and the Italian dish cotoletta alla milanese. This is a staple in my household thanks to many TV dinners made and put into Tupperware by Grandma.
No matter if she was home or not you could find a whole meal like some version of CFS, mashed potatoes, green beans, and chopped salad in the fridge. This time it will be country-fried 'shrooms. Tee Hee!
We call this magick because the "steak" can be any thin filet from beef to chicken to mushrooms. As long as you bread it with egg, flour, and breadcrumbs then fry in a good fat until crisp. Then use the pan drippings, chopped mushrooms, and broth to make a rich brown gravy and you are ready to go, my friend.