National Southern Food Day
While I grew up and currently live in Indiana, y’all know I’m a southern girl at heart. The south is where I got my cooking roots. There’s a dash of the south in every single thing I cook. That’s why I’m so excited to celebrate National Southern Food Day every January 22nd. And it just so happens to be my dad’s birthday, too!
My family is primarily from Tennessee and Alabama and has migrated to Georgia as well. I can vividly remember my great aunt’s kitchen table filled with fried okra, squash casserole, creamed corn, cornbread, possum (yep, you read that right–and NO! I didn’t eat it.), fried chicken, fried liver, and onions and more. And all of that was just because eight of us came to visit!
That’s one of the reasons why I love southern food. It’s plentiful. We had Sunday dinner at my house almost every Sunday. I can’t remember a time when we didn’t have at least two meats and multiple sides. We didn’t reserve that just for the holidays. For us, it wasn’t about overeating, it was about options and preparing so that my Mom didn’t have to cook the first few days of the workweek. Maybe that’s why I love leftovers!
Southern food includes staple food items that came from south of the Mason-Dixon line. Even all the way to Texas. Southern food is more cultural to me than anything. I have prepared food for several dinner parties in Indiana and it warms my heart to hear clients tell me that my cooking reminded them of their mom or grandmother. These are individuals who grew up in Southern Indiana or in more rural areas of the state. The food they are used to is influenced by the south.
Southern food creates memories for people. It gives people a sense of home. When I have my mom’s mac and cheese, it’s like she’s giving me a hug. When I make my grandmother’s sweet potato pie, it’s like she’s standing right next to me, telling me what to do every step of the way. No matter where this culinary career takes me, my roots will always be planted in the south.
Happy National Southern Food Day, y’all. I hope you celebrate by making one of my recipes for someone you love.