Roots

Back where I come from
Where I’ll be when it’s said and done
I’m proud as anyone
Back where I come from…

Kenny has been playing in my mind lately for a few reasons. First, I’m back in full-fledged Carolina mode since we’ve moved back to Charlotte. I’ve gotten to see all of my family, which is wonderful. I’ve seen my cousins multiple times, my parents and brother, plus college friends, etc etc – fabulous! They all have my heart and I treasure the time with all of them. I’ve been to Chapel Hill multiple times, and Carolina blue memories come flooding back. I’m back to sweet tea, Southern accents, manners, and preppy clothes, and I love it.
Disclaimer – though this is all true, I truly do miss my Tampa friends, and our weekend outings, coffee breaks, beach trips, and barbecues.

I wanted to write this to honor my roots, and in particular, one of my main influences on my culinary skills and mindset. Southern food is notorious throughout the country, and I have had the ultimate privilege of being taught some of the basics and traditions by my Granny, a wonderful Southern cook and baker. Her specialties are endless as everything she cooks is delicious, but here are some of her notorious dishes: Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Chicken Pastry, Brunswick Stew, Waldorf Salad, Cherry Pie, and the absolute best and tastiest dessert ever in the whole wide world – no exaggeration: her 7-layer chocolate cake. Yes these are dishes that any great Southern matriarch serves, and no, they do not seem super special on paper, but with her touch and love put into these dishes, they are masterpieces. I always respected her gift and willingness to serve through her cooking.

I’m writing this post to honor my Granny, because she has been going through a rough time lately. She has Alzheimer’s, and it has really been rough on her lately. I have seen my family experience multiple types of disease, but this seems to be the worst. It takes over your mind, which affects your entire life. Granny is still beautiful, funny, and wonderful, but this disease has ripped away her independence and work ethic. She can no longer cook like she used to, but I am so grateful for her teaching my mom and I her kitchen secrets throughout the years.

She ALWAYS made her 7-layer chocolate cake for me (which is quite tedious, by the way) when we had family get-togethers. Even if there were 30 people there, the cake was made especially for me. She taught me how to roll out pastry dough from scratch for our family’s style of chicken pastry (not a simple method, either). I don’t know if she will ever know how much all of this has meant to me. I learned the true meanings of Southern food, from scratch, and homemade from her. I hope that I can make her understand just how much all of this has meant to me, and how much I love her for being such a magnificent woman and my one and only Granny!