Extravagance of Laughter
Alice Walker's "In Search of Our Mother's Gardens"Alice walker raises a point that the creative spirit held by our mothers was very often not held in high regard by anyone at that time as an "artistic" or "special" talent. Simple things like: pruning a garden, knitting, singing a song, or cooking were religious activities that at the time held no particular place in society other than fulfilling their own personal needs.Cooking holds a special place for me, because I grew up in a family that did not use recipes for cooking. They simply pulled out ingredients, and pulled meals together. What we know as "soul food" is the descendant of soul food. It is the brilliant masterpiece that derived from want. Soul food is distinct in its use of greens, beans, and the parts of the pig rejected at the plantation house: pig's knuckles, ears, tripe, hog maws. These were add
My Godmother's Dressing and Granny's Macaroni and Cheese; neither of which I can live without. Most food was made using only one pot, as time for cooking and money for its tools were both hard to come by. Back in the days of slavery, slaves were often forced to eat the scraps that their slave masters did not want. Drinks were made from the juices of fruits. Feathered wildlife was prepared by frying, baking, roasting, making broths, or simmering to form gravies. In the rivers and streams, there were lots of fish and other water life that could be eaten. They turned these scraps into delicious dishes. Some of these foods are black-eyes peas, cornbread, bread pudding, greens, sweet potato pie, and chitterling (often called "chitlins"). In their eyes, I am playfully referred to as a "dummy cook. Those skills and knowledge are passed on from generation to generation. I have watched both my grand and godmother cook, and they both have dishes that I consider their specialty. I've watched my grandmother and godmother, and asked questioned about how they used to cook.
Common topics in this essay:
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Acceptance Essays
