Nothing says “food and
family” more than Thanksgiving and Christmas. The calls grow
increasingly louder with the changing colors and dropping of
every autumn leaf. These holidays present an opportunity to
relax and spend quality time with family and friends
centered around food (and set aside a specific time for a
dietary splurge).
Several of my friends have
expressed an interest in understanding traditional holiday
meals from a black perspective. The following is a suggested
list of traditional menu items for a true “Soul Holiday”
based on how my family “rolls.”
The Main Dish:
Poultry or Ham:
The entrée choices come down
to poultry and/or glazed ham and for the dedicated old
school southern folks it might also be “chitlins.” I’ve got
relatives that will shun or disown you if you don’t set
aside at least a cup of chitlins and a bottle Louisiana Hot
Sauce.
Depending upon the crowd, a
turkey will feed more but roast chicken, although typically
smaller, is a little juicier. I prefer Cornish hens for
those hectic holidays, which bring time constraints and when
you’re not feeding a large crowd. The hens are a tasty and
more delicate meat that only take approximately an hour to
cook.
When preparing ham, black
folk love to use pineapple and cherries and a honey or brown
sugar glaze. Ham pairs well opposite the poultry and
provides a lot of flavor. At many traditional houses you
will find both ham and turkey being served.
Side Dishes
It is important not to
prepare an excessive number of side dishes but to
concentrate on a few sides that taste exceptional, look
appealing and that complement each other. My wife and I try
to be efficient and conserve time and energy at holiday
time. Nevertheless, these staples should always find a place
on your holiday table:
Fluffy Cornbread Savory
Sage Dressing:
Since you are preparing
poultry for your holiday meal, make all of the tasty broth
and stock that cooks off the turkey or hens work for you by
using it to make a fluffy cornbread dressing. Black folks
like to say that they “dress” the bird rather than “stuff”
the bird and know that the secret to preparing great tasting
dressing begins with delicious cornbread. So take the
cornbread straight out of the oven instead of using old
white bread from the freezer. Also, don’t be afraid to use a
sufficient amount of stock/broth so that you are left with
dressing that is fluffy and not hard or stiff.
Mac and Cheese:
A staple on almost every
African-American holiday dinner menu. The trick to
preparing delicious mac and cheese lies in using a variety
of cheeses so that you get more than just a Velveeta
flavor. However, keep in mind that a fresh creamy mac and
cheese requires whole milk, evaporated milk or heavy cream
to smooth out the texture of the dish. And if you are going
fix an amount necessary to feed a crowd, be sure to use
enough eggs so that the dish is creamy and doesn’t need to
be cut with a knife.
Greens:
Almost anywhere you find
African Americans, you can also find greens, whether
collards, mustards or turnips. Greens are best seasoned with
smoked meat, whether smoked ham, hocks or turkey. My
favorite is cooking greens using oxtails. Salt and pepper
the oxtails, add a little onion powder, dredge them in
flower and sauté them in vegetable or canola oil and add to
the dish when the greens have cooked down a bit.
Potato Salad:
Everyone loves potato salad.
Some prefer Miracle Whip salad dressing while others love
Mayo. Some people use russet potatoes and others Yukon gold.
I use redskin or new potatoes and leave the skin on after
scrubbing well. Add relish, onions, bell peppers, celery or
celery seed for a signature dish.
Candied Sweet Potatoes:
Cut the sweet potatoes into
rounds. Most also use brown sugar (or white), butter,
cinnamon or nutmeg. Add heavy cream to, what my wife calls
the “sweet potato juice,” for a tasty caramel flavor.
Desserts
If there is anything that I
have inherited from my ancestors, it is the sweet tooth they
passed down directly to me. I remember my grandparents
having dessert with every single meal and certainly, no
holiday menu is complete without traditional desserts that
are prepared just like they were then – from scratch! (Sorry
Patti LaBelle).
Peach Cobbler:
There are many takes on
this down-home, southern favorite. I like a crispy crust (my
wife’s version) and not the dumplings (my mom’s). My wife
starts with a layer of peaches in the bottom of a baking
dish, then adds a lattice crust, and bakes it. Next she adds
another layer of peaches and tops with crust and bakes
again.
Sweet potato pie:
Say sweet potato! Not
pumpkin! Say it one more time. Sweet Potato! Not pumpkin!
Just be sure to add eggs and a bit of flour to the batter to
make the pie light and fluffy and not too dense or heavy. I
also like to use unsalted butter and heavy whipping cream.
Banana Pudding:
The key is to use bananas
that are nice and ripe and be sure to cook a custard for the
filling. Boxed or fillings that come in an envelope are a
no-no.
Caramel Cake:
My mom used to make each
of her five boys their own favorite cake. Today, one cake
for the entire extended family will have to make due, my
wife insists. A homemade caramel cake is our favorite.
Start out with a basic
butter layer cake that some people call a 1, 2, 3, 4 cake
and bake. Prepare the caramel icing by cooking with white
sugar and evaporated milk. Let it cook until it forms a soft
bead when you put a drop of the hot icing in cold water.
Tradition without
Traditionalism
While traditions are
“instructive resources for African Americans in our
contemporary settings,” we should must be able to
accommodate new tastes for new situations rather than being
shackled to old practices merely because “we’ve always done
it that way.”
Don’t be afraid to
accommodate the new, adding new twists to old recipes or
techniques or to different dishes altogether. Try some of
our contemporary holiday favorites also :
Prime rib, standing rib
roast, shrimp etoufee or grilled/deep fried shrimp
Jambalaya or other creole
main/side dishes
Stir-fried collard greens
Jalapeño corn muffins
ENJOY!
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org |