If
Tennessee by heritage (tho my mother never cooked southern. She has just discovered microwave french fries. Yikes!)
Chicago all my life (so far)
OT Crash Update 3621He's well enough, but at this point, the budget doesn't allow for Applebee's right now. We...
And Nawlins every year for 12 years now. I go for the food and cooking lessons, mostly. At home I often cook Creole, not much Cajun. My biggest peeve about Chicago is trying to find simple salt pork, and boudin sausage.
I have some African-American friends who "think" they know "soul" cooking, which is really just Southern. But, hmph! Mac & cheese, or (gasp) a baked pan of spaghetti are not soul or southern. And they don't know the many different kinds of greens or how to prepare any of them. And never heard of cornpone. They hired me as caterer once to cook for a family reunion. "Who dat white boy and where'd he learn to cook like that?"
Some guests wanted recipes. I said, "I don't know recipes, I use technique." One asked (really), "Technique? Is that a spice mix?"
OK, one more bad story: Chicago's Gold Coast used to have a fine (read snooty) French restaurant, in a restored mansion, named, "Chez Paul." They closed a while back. I heard they were going to reopen on the south side, 95th and King Drive, and serve a combination of French cuisine and soul food. It's new name would be, "Chez What."
