Contributing Writer
The beauty of Black womanhood is that it contains some of the deepest secrets of nature and sources of bedazzling power. Much more than strong or mysterious, Black womanhood is the embodiment of feminine intelligence in creation — an intelligence that exists within a set of complementary forces that makes the universe dance.
In my work, I am often reminded that many of us have learned to reject practices thought to be “feminine” — the greatest one being the ability to nurture through food. We insist that cooking is cumbersome and a mark of gender suppression rather than an enlivening art that puts tremendous power in our hands.
The hands of a woman do have power.
You might now be saying, “OK. Even if I have power in my hands, I don’t have cooking talent!” I understand, and my response here is to emphasize that cooking is much more than intellectual or manual technique; it is an expression of artistic freedom arising from the soul.
As mothers of soul people, Black women have plenty of soul. Once handed down from Black grandmothers to their daughters, and to their daughters and so on, is the wisdom that through the aromas, flavors, and transmission of emotions into food, cooking gives women the power to set the tone in their environments and transmit thoughts from heart and soul to those they love and care for, that the sensory engagement of cooking and eating allows them to nurture themselves while intentionally nurturing others.
For Black people, soul-to-soul connection is an act of cultural and personal power.
Over the years, having attended a number of workshops and seminars on subjects related to women’s spirituality, I have received a tremendous amount of insight and knowledge about personal change, transformation, and growth. One thing that appeared to be missing time and again, however, was culture; each culture has its own view of how to bring about change and transformation.
The seminars and workshops I attended were focused on the individual. From my experience, culture teaches that change and transformation must benefit the collective, not just the individual.
I am because we are
Cooking and feeding others from the soul provides Black women with the ability to affect greater harmony and transformation within themselves, their relationships with others, and their cultures.
With Minnesota being one of four states and the District of Columbia with the highest rates of Type 2 diabetes for African American women, and a state with some of the lowest rates of diabetes for White women at roughly 2.5 percent or lower, it is time to tap into the bedazzling power of Black womanhood to nurture the process of personal and cultural change and transformation, starting with the daily practice of healthful and soulful cooking for our families and for ourselves.
2 pounds of de-boned white fish of your choice
2 jalapeño peppers (optional)
¼ tablespoon of fresh cilantro
1½ green onion
¼ purple onion
½ bell pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 egg beaten
2 cups of plain bread crumbs
In a blender combine the jalapeno, cilantro, onions, garlic and bell pepper and set aside.
Break the fish down into shreds using your hands, then combine vegetable mixture with the fish, and with hands mix thoroughly.
Add one beaten egg to the mixture with the bread crumbs and continue to mix.
Refrigerate the fish mixture for at least one hour.
Form one-to-two-inch balls with the fish and set aside on waxed paper.
Heat a frying pan with a quarter inch of vegetable oil.
Gently place the fish balls into the hot oil.
As a crust begins to form on the bottom of the fish, slightly turn with a spatula. Turn the fish ball over to the other side and continue to brown, and then press down on the fish to form a cake.
Remove the fish cake when it becomes golden brown on each side, and place in the oven at 200 degrees to keep warm.
Spinach Salad:
2 bunches of baby spinach cleaned and washed
1 cup of sliced strawberries
¼ cup of chopped walnuts
¼ cup of fresh bacon bits
Extra virgin olive oil
Honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine two bunches of washed and cleaned baby spinach into a large mixing or salad bowl. Add sliced strawberries, chopped almonds, and bacon bits (optional).
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the salad, followed by a drizzle of honey. Salt and pepper to taste and stir.
Serves four-to-six.
3-4 pounds of beef oxtails cut to medium size
3 Serrano chilies, chopped
1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and cut on the bias
3 parsnips, peeled and cut on the bias
1/2 cup of celery leaves, washed
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp. of ground cumin
2 tbsp. of tomato paste
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 knob (1/4 tbsp.) of butter
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup of port (red) wine
1 cup of beef stock
Salt
Pepper
Egg noodles
Chopped parsley for garnish
Directions for braised oxtails:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl or deep dish, season the oxtails with salt and pepper then cover with foil and refrigerate.
Place peeled and cut carrots, onions and parsnips in a large mixing bowl full over water, then set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan. When oil is hot, sear the oxtails, turning from side to side for about three-to-four minutes, placing them into a large Dutch oven or 9 x 13 baking dish, until each oxtail is seared. Set the baking dish or Dutch oven aside.
Heat one-half teaspoon of vegetable oil to a small frying pan and lightly sauté the chilies, onions, and garlic until tender and translucent, then stir in two tablespoons of tomato paste and sprinkle in ground cumin. Continue to stir the paste and vegetables for one-to-two minutes until the mixture is too thick to stir.
Add knob of butter, then slowly pour in the beef broth and wine. Continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and the paste is completely blended into the broth and wine as a sauce. Pour the carrots, parsnips, half of the water, tomato paste and red wine sauce over the oxtails. Add two bay leaves, cover with foil and place in the oven at 250 degrees for four-to-five hours until meat is fork tender.
Two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh thyme gets added to the tomato and red wine sauce before braising the oxtails in the oven.
Directions for braised egg noodles:
Fill a Dutch oven or large pot with five-to-six cups of cool water (just enough water to cover the noodles), then boil. Add two teaspoons of salt and two tablespoon of vegetable oil to the water, then gently stir in one bag of extra-wide egg noodles.
Continue to gently stir the noodles to ensure that they do not stick together. Reduce heat to medium and let cook for about 17 minutes, until noodles are soft but not over cooked. Drain, and serve immediately.
Spoon and serve over egg noodles and garnish with chopped parsley.
Michelle Lawrence, MA, MPH, specializes in cooking African-based dishes and relationship-enhancing dining experiences for families and couples. She can be reached at 612-251-9516.
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