Prior to emancipation, the slaves prepared foods from a few staples, vegetables they grew themselves and leftover proteins. They passed these recipes down orally and future generations prepared them, improved them and passed them on. Today some of these classic recipes appear menus in towns all over America. A soul food caterer offers many favorites and those in East Windsor, NJ provide some of the best.
The slaves were usually given staples such as molasses, salt, corn and flour. They also had small plots where they grew vegetables like okra and mustard greens. Protein was scarce and they made use of every part of an animal like a pig, from its ears to its feet. Leftovers were often used to give a vegetable dish some meaty flavor. Recipes with these humble beginnings have been improved through the years and now feature proudly on menus of not only casual eateries but more upmarket ones too.
It was illegal for slaves to read or write so recipes were passed down orally. One of the first cookbooks written about this type of cuisine was published in 1881 and recently many more have been written. The focus is often on family and recipes for family occasions, celebrating the value of sharing.
This type of cuisine is well known for its intensity of flavors with the use of many spices. This is one of the ways in which it can be differentiated from Southern cuisine, according to some people who regard Southern cuisine as offering gentler flavors. Another way to distinguish it is in the way proteins are used such as serving whole fish and cuts of meat like neck bones and feet instead of more processed ones.
This cooking is also marked by a lack of wastage. This goes back to the days of slavery when every little bit of flavor needed to be squeezed out of what was available, even if it was leftover meat. Stale bread was used to create delicious puddings, pies were made from overripe fruit and remains of a whole fish would be used for croquets or hush puppies.
Like most culinary traditions, African-American cooking has its healthy and unhealthy elements. With the popularity of fast foods and the addition of much fat, sugar and salt, some of these classic foods became very unhealthy. This tended to give people the false impression that eating soul foods automatically lead to obesity. In fact, those early recipes contained little protein and plenty of vegetables. Many caterers offering these foods today are health conscious and offer food that is nutritious and full of flavor. They tend to use spices, garlic, onions and herbs to create the intensity of flavor.
The Sunday meal is often an occasion when all the family members gather together. Dishes are contributed by all and often hark back to traditional roots, celebrating their heritage. On the laden dinner table, one might find ribs, fried chicken, corn, okra, kale, collard greens and yams.
Caterers offering this type of cuisine are not hard to find today with many of them offering their services on websites. Checking customer reviews and other details on such a site can give a good indication of the reputation and quality of service of such caterers. The best of these create their foods with passion and patience, offering delicious menus that keep customers very happy.
The slaves were usually given staples such as molasses, salt, corn and flour. They also had small plots where they grew vegetables like okra and mustard greens. Protein was scarce and they made use of every part of an animal like a pig, from its ears to its feet. Leftovers were often used to give a vegetable dish some meaty flavor. Recipes with these humble beginnings have been improved through the years and now feature proudly on menus of not only casual eateries but more upmarket ones too.
It was illegal for slaves to read or write so recipes were passed down orally. One of the first cookbooks written about this type of cuisine was published in 1881 and recently many more have been written. The focus is often on family and recipes for family occasions, celebrating the value of sharing.
This type of cuisine is well known for its intensity of flavors with the use of many spices. This is one of the ways in which it can be differentiated from Southern cuisine, according to some people who regard Southern cuisine as offering gentler flavors. Another way to distinguish it is in the way proteins are used such as serving whole fish and cuts of meat like neck bones and feet instead of more processed ones.
This cooking is also marked by a lack of wastage. This goes back to the days of slavery when every little bit of flavor needed to be squeezed out of what was available, even if it was leftover meat. Stale bread was used to create delicious puddings, pies were made from overripe fruit and remains of a whole fish would be used for croquets or hush puppies.
Like most culinary traditions, African-American cooking has its healthy and unhealthy elements. With the popularity of fast foods and the addition of much fat, sugar and salt, some of these classic foods became very unhealthy. This tended to give people the false impression that eating soul foods automatically lead to obesity. In fact, those early recipes contained little protein and plenty of vegetables. Many caterers offering these foods today are health conscious and offer food that is nutritious and full of flavor. They tend to use spices, garlic, onions and herbs to create the intensity of flavor.
The Sunday meal is often an occasion when all the family members gather together. Dishes are contributed by all and often hark back to traditional roots, celebrating their heritage. On the laden dinner table, one might find ribs, fried chicken, corn, okra, kale, collard greens and yams.
Caterers offering this type of cuisine are not hard to find today with many of them offering their services on websites. Checking customer reviews and other details on such a site can give a good indication of the reputation and quality of service of such caterers. The best of these create their foods with passion and patience, offering delicious menus that keep customers very happy.
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