Food for the Soul

Hello, my name is Cassandra Harrell and I am the founder of Soul Food Advisor.com, a website for soul food and southern cooking lovers. I learned the art of cooking from my Big Mama growing up in West Tennessee. The love and passion for southern food continued throughout her childhood and today I have truly found my niche in preparing southern cuisine.

I made my first southern fried chicken at 9, baked my first peach cobbler (with homemade crust) at 13, and from then on I have been cooking ever since. Over the years, the more soul food I made, the more I wanted to make. My thoughts were about soul food all the time. I literally became addicted to making soul food.

My husband and I also owned an award-winning soul food restaurant and catering business, Earl's Southern Catering. During those years in catering and food services, we received rave reviews, numerous features in newspapers, and interviews on television segments making our signature dishes. We served up homemade favorites to thousands of loyal customers from hickory-smoked meats, and zesty cole slaw, to succulent macaroni and cheese and tantalizing desserts, morning 'til night.

Our Sunday buffet became so popular and was such a tremendous success until customers literally lined up outside for our authentic soul food spread. Our top sellers were the hickory smoked barbecue with Ear's homemade barbecue sauce, southern fried chicken, fresh collard greens, hot water corn bread, and old-fashioned peach cobbler. I wouldn't have thought that the dishes that I first made as a youngster would be a staple throughout my lifetime of southern cooking.

In addition to my website, Soul Food Advisor, I am most proud of my recent book, Soul Food Lovers' Cookbook with over 250 recipes. This cookbook is a collection of family recipes from three generations including my mother, grandmother, siblings, and herself. I was fortunate to have made several recipes with her mother before she passed away, especially her collard greens and hot water corn bread recipe. To help others learned what I have learned over the years in the kitchen, I just published a free cooking e-book.

The history of soul food dates back to slavery when there was less around to prepare meals. Soul food is most known for its economical way to prepare meals for less. During slavery, one pot meals were plentiful because women normally worked in the fields 12 to 15 hours and were often too tired to prepare an entire meal.

One pot meals were made with whatever was around the house and could include items like pinto beans and corn bread, cooked cabbage with white potatoes, and gumbo to name a few. That's one reason why meals such as homemade soups and gumbo are so popular because these dishes were often served to slave families when there was really nothing else to make.

This is why it is now and has always been cheaper to eat Soul food because you can prepare an entire soul food meal for $5.99 per person and even less for some one-pot recipes. Soul food is very cost effective to make especially if you're on a budget or need to reduce your food bill. And once you have developed your meal plan, you can easily prepare meals for several days of the week.

Not only is soul food considered "cheap eats", more people are preparing their meals and eating at home more often than ever before. Epicurious released their predicts for the New Food Trend for 2009. The new food trends include---

1. Eating more smoked meat: You know how everything taste better fried? Well almost everything tastes better smoked according to this report. So this year, look for more recipes that are "smoked" and not "fried" as the new wave.

2. Expect comfort food to stage a comeback "again", (not surprised by this one), and

3. "Value" is the new Sustainable: These days, the economy dictates our cooking and shopping decisions. I know that's the truth. According to the report, bargains are in, no matter where they come from. I think it's sort of like "if the shoe fits".

This report is really not surprising because of the economy and how expensive food prices are, more and more people are beginning to prepare their meals at home. According to consumer research and Food Technology Magazine, 77% of all dinners in 2004 were eaten at home and about 45% of Americans dined out less last year to save money, a nearly 12% increase from 2007.

Because of this new food trend, it is even more apparent that Soul food cooking is still the most economical way to prepare meals for your family on any budget.

Below is a partial list of commonly used soul foods sorted by category. This list serves as your guide when putting together great soul food menus.

Entrees - Barbecue, chicken, pork, beef, ham, turkey, fish, beef stew, liver, wild game, neck bones (beef or pork), gumbo, jambalaya, ham hocks, pig feet, hog mogs, chitterlings

Fresh Fruits - Watermelon, apples, pears, cantaloupe, mango, pineapple, peaches

Homemade Desserts - Cakes, pies, puddings, cobblers - regular and fruit

Homemade Breads - Oven corn bread, hoe cakes, hot water corn bread, spoon bread, biscuits, cracklin' bread, hush puppies, dressing, rolls

Miscellaneous - Molasses, sweet sorghum, groundnuts

Pasta/Rice - Spaghetti, macaroni & cheese, rice, grits, dumplings

Vegetables - Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, green (or string) beans, black eyed-peas, cow peas, cabbage, okra, turnips, beets, corn, butter beans, tomatoes, crowder peas, pinto beans, white beans, lima beans, baked beans, green peas, hominy

Seasonings - Onions, garlic, vinegar, black pepper, red pepper, hot pepper pods, seasoned salt, soul-food seasoning, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cumin, chili powder, parsley, basil, rosemary, sage, poultry seasoning, , vanilla extract, flavored extract, thyme, chives, dill, tarragon

Condiments - Hot sauce, chow chow (pickled relish), sliced red tomatoes, chopped onions, homemade gravy

Cooking Methods - Frying, baking, grilling, boiling, and roasting.

Cooking methods vary depending on the type of meal you're putting together and can be prepared in many different ways. This helps balance out a well-planned menu. Chicken is not always fried and can be baked, roasted, or grilled as well. I remember my mom, making barbecue chicken on Sundays which for us was a real treat.

Homemade desserts were popular in the early years and are still a staple in many kitchens today. You know there's nothing that takes the place of a good homemade peach cobbler after that perfect meal. Vegetables are still a big part of Southern and soul food menus. Of course, no dining experience is complete without homemade corn bread served with fresh collard greens or black-eyed peas.

Soul Food Lovers Newsletter features fresh soul food articles, soul food recipes, cooking and baking tips, exciting ways to use soul food cuisine, meal ideas, and new website updates, free every month. The newsletter also include:

A Soul Food Column
This Month's Best Soul Food Recipes
Guest Interviews
Special Announcements
And much more.

To get your free monthly dose of soul food, click here Soul Food Lovers'

Whether you're a beginner or advanced cook, learn to prepare great southern recipes, absolutely free. You can improve your cooking skills and raise your level of cooking no matter what type of food you're making.

To learn the secrets to making great southern food, Click here

Every time I even hear the name Pineapple Pound Cake I think of a funny story cooking with my Big Mama. When she made her Pineapple Pound cake, she would stand back a few feet from the cake and literally threw the pineapple on the glaze, and of course she missed the cake more times than she made it and pineapple went everywhere, all over the floor, cabinets, walls, you name it.

And to top it off, she seem to get a kick out of it. She thought it was funny.
Of course, I had to clean the mess up off the floor. Have you even tried to clean up wet pineapple? What a mess.

Big Mama would always say as she threw pineapple against the cake, "I can't stop now, I'm in my caking making mode", whatever that meant!

Although Big Mama was a great baker, I don't recommend her method for getting the pineapple on the cake. So in the recipe below I say (gently scatter pineapple against the glaze). Hopefully your experience making this cake will be better for the people around you. (No Mess to clean up off the floor).

Big Mama's Pineapple Cake
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup butter or margarine
2 3/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup crushed pineapple with juice

Combine shortening, butter, and sugar; cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Stir in crushed pineapple.

Pour batter into a well-greased and floured 10-inch tube pan, bundt pan or 2 loaf pans. Place in cold oven; bake in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool 10 to 15 minutes in pan. Invert onto serving plate; drizzle Pineapple Glaze over top and sides. See Glaze recipe below:

Pineapple Glaze
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

Combine butter and sugar, mixing until smooth. Punch a few small holes on top of cake and drizzle glaze over the top. Gently scatter pineapple against the glaze. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Staple soul food recipes from Soul Food Lovers' Cookbook:

Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
1 smoked turkey wing or 3 to 4 ounces smoked meat
2 quarts water
1 to 2 hot pepper pods or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 to 4 pounds fresh collard greens
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
4 medium turnips, peeled and quartered
Salt and pepper to taste

Place turkey wing or smoked meat in large pot; add water and pepper pods. Cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until tender. Remove from heat, but do not drain. Break stems off of greens. Wash leaves thoroughly. Slice leaves into bite-size pieces by rolling several leaves together and slicing in one fourth inch strips.

Add greens, sugar, oil, vinegar, onion, salt and pepper to smoked meat. Let greens cook down in pot, then cover over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Add turnips and continue cooking until greens and turnips are folk tender. Serve with a slotted spoon. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Recipe Note: Serve collard greens with green onions, sliced tomatoes, and hot water corn.

Staple soul food recipes from Soul Food Lovers' Cookbook:

Hot Water Corn Bread
2 cups self-rising white or yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar, (optional)
1 1/2 cups hot water
Vegetable oil

Combine cornmeal, flour, egg, sugar and hot water in large bowl. Heat vegetable oil in skillet until hot. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of cornmeal mixture for each bread patty in skillet.

Fry in hot oil over medium heat until light brown on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes. Cool patties on paper towels. Yield: 8 to 10 bread patties.

Recipe Note: Family Treasure Recipe: My grandmother taught me how to make this bread. Make sure the water is hot and not lukewarm--its makes better bread. If this is your first time making this recipe, use fresh vegetable oil.

Do you have a favorite soul food appetizer? Or, do you ever wonder what appetizers are appropriate for soul food parties? If so, you're come to the right place. I have compiled a list of popular soul food including spaghetti, that are used most often for soul food parties. These familiar icons are requested most often when I operated my soul food catering business.

Next time you have a party, try a few of these dishes. They rate high among partygoers and I promise, if you love soul food, you're love these easy appetizers.

Hot Wings - An old time favorite - No matter what the reason hot wings just seem to fit just about any occasion. Rates high among party goers.

Southern Fried Chicken Wings - A soul food favorite. Southern Fried Chicken Wings continue to be the talk of the party.

BBQ Beef Meat Balls - I used this one quite often on my catering menu. People love eating them probably because they are not just delicious they're beef. The bbq sauce just give them a outstanding flavor. A great appetizer food.

Mini Smoked Sausages - These sausages are also a crowd pleaser. Make sure you have enough on hand--they go fast.

Soul Food Spaghetti - This dish is a real party favorite. It's often served with hot or fried wings and helps stretch your menu. Another great party food.

Assorted Cocktail Sandwiches - When you add these sandwiches to a soul food menu, you add variety for your guests. Instead of ham, turkey, or cheese, you could also fill with tuna, chicken, egg, or pimento salad. However, you make them, they're still delicious.

Stuffed Mushrooms - A true crowd pleaser. Your guest will love these mushrooms. They also offer variety, texture, and a wonderful addition to any soul food menu. A wonderful finger food.

Country Deviled Eggs - Another catering menu favorite. For a more dressed up feel, add shredded cheddar cheese on top. My, my, what a treat.

Spicy Cheese Spread - This is an old party recipe I used to make - and it works wonders. Your guests will love this recipe. This is a good recipe to sample with different seasonings. Use your imagination and have fun.

Fresh Fruit Platter - No matter what type of food you're used to serving, fresh fruit go with any menu in any culture. Don't miss the opportunity to serve your guest what everyone love.

Shrimp dip/Spread - If your guests are shrimp lovers, they are going to love this recipe. It is sooooooo good until you just may want to double the recipe.

Favorite Dill Dip - Another healthy treat for your guests and a great addition to any menu. Great with raw veggies.

These Appetizers Recipes are in the Recipe Center

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