In case you are living under a rock, today is the day that we honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. It’s not just a three-day weekend; it is time to incorporate the message of King into your everyday life.
Paschal’s Civil Rights Legacy
Since my Dad was in the hospital in November of 2019, he didn’t cook. So my sister made a reservation for us to eat Thanksgiving dinner at Paschal’s. The food is delicious. I had wanted to go to Paschal’s for a while since I knew that this restaurant was an important meeting place for Martin Luther King during the civil rights movement. Here’s a great interview of one of the first employees of Paschal’s.
Suggested Reading: Franchise, The Golden Arches in Black America
I got this book, Franchise, last year because my cousin mentioned it on Twitter. Historian Marcia Chatelain traces the emergence of fast food and the civil rights movement and how they intersect at McDonald’s. It’s very prescient at the moment as restaurants are being re-imagine to deal with the pandemic.
Everything Your Coconut Milk Can Do
Don’t throw out the half full can of coconut milk, says Tatiana Bautista. She links to an assortment of recipes by famed chefs who know their way around a can of coconut milk.
the easiest way to prevent this graveyard of doomed cans from forming in the back of the refrigerator is a handy roster of recipes that are flexible enough to make on a whim, with whatever quantity of coconut milk you have left—all with the distinct accent of tropical, dairy-free richness.
Honey, It’s The Most Popular Pie at The Grey
I can personally attest to the deliciousness of the salted honey pie at The Grey Market. There are guests who loved it and they have drawn illustrations on the back of menus praising the pie. If you get a copy of the new book, you can get the recipe for the salted honey pie.
In an interview for Eater, Mashama Bailey recounts the following:
“Honey is sweet and salt is salty,” Bailey says of how the pie relates to the story. “It’s a bittersweet journey because we have a lot of really good days, and some of them are hard and challenging and we have to push ourselves more out of our comfort zone.”
The Sauce That Fueled The Civil Rights Movement
Have you heard of mumbo (mambo) sauce? Mumbo sauce is tangy sauce similar to barbecue sauce and it has origins in both Chicago and DC soul food. Ashlie Stevens of Salon.com writes about the complicated history of mumbo sauce and shares a recipe on how to make it at home.
Fun Idea: Food Zooms with Friends and Family
Nothing left to say to your family over Zoom? Try organizing a taste test. Laura Leavitt from The Takeout suggests creating a scorecard. I recommend having one person being the host to guide the event. You can do the taste test with fancy artisan food or even the latest Oreo flavors. It is a fun way to gather virtually while experiencing something new.
Podcast
Next episode of the podcast is about McDonalds and soul food.