The history of soul food lies in the fact that during slavery, slaves were often provided the scraps and undesirable parts of meats and vegetables that were deemed “unfit” for the plantation dinner table. As a result, a miraculous cuisine emerged wherein those “leftovers” were turned into culinary masterpieces. Because slaves did not have access to “premium” ingredients, they were forced to manage with what they had. Thus, they flavored the tops (the greens) of vegetables with bits of smoked meat. Other seasonings were created in such a way that over the years, this brand of cooking attracted attention from people all over the world.
There is something magical about the way African American women prepare traditional soul food dishes. Recipes like Southern-fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and the like, are foods that have become staples of the soul-food eating household. Ther are many places that offer these types of side dishes and entrees for the holiday season. But there are very few of them that compare in any way to the rich and hearty foods that generations of African Americans have grown to love. Despite what people may tell you, it’s not that easy to duplicate the mouth-watering flavors of many traditional African American foods. But many agree that this is because all the spices in the world cannot compete with that special “magical” touch that goes into preparing a soul-food meal from scratch. But if you should find yourself craving some of the recipes that your mother’s mother’s mother used to make, but you have not the savvy, you’ll want to take a look at these authentic soul food recipe websites.
Soul Couture : ServingupSoul.com
Over time, soul food dishes have assumed so much popularity that many people are putting their own fresh “spin” on some traditional classics. Couture homemaker extraordinaire, B. Smith has a site that offers amateur (or simply adventurous) chefs tons of mouth-watering options. Do you like collard greens, but would like to try a new twist on the original variety? Follow B. Smith’s recipe for Collard Bread. Very similar to a quiche, this great brunch dish incorporates collard greens along with eggs, peppers, spices and a cornbread crust. Or learn how to make hot and spicy fried chicken, a simple, yet updated take on the fried chicken grew up on. The website is very easy to navigate, and provides clear and concise cooking instructions.
No Frills : SoulFoodCookbook.com
If you happen to be searching for recipes which most closely resemble your Aunt Marie’s, look no further than SoulFoodCookbook.com. This site is relatively barren as far as photos are concerned. But many of the “secret” ingredients in soul food dishes are blatantly displayed within the recipes. Learn the real trick of flavoring collard, mustard, or turnip greens by adding smoked ham hock or bacon to them. And that cornbread dressing that your grandmother used to make is also just a few clicks away. In a nutshell, all the dishes displayed on this site are absent of “frills” but include all the ingredients that make soul food taste the way it does.
Streamlined Recipe Searches : SoulFoodOnline.com
SoulFoodOnline.com is a very streamlined, easy-to-use website that features all the simple, yet wonderful southern dishes that are popular in restaurants. Recipes are broken down into groupings : Meats, Vegetables, Soups, Salads, Breads, and Sweets. Select the “Vegetables” link, and you will be brought to a page that lists multiple varieties of your favorite soul food dishes. If you’re planning on embarking upon your very first homemade macaroni and cheese dish, you’ll be thrilled to discover that on this page alone there are at least five different variations. The beauty of soul food cooking is that despite the multiple “wrong” ways to prepare soul food dishes, there is no one “right” way; thus, many of these recipes offer a host of ways to achieve very similar results.
Beginner’s Paradise : ChefRick.com
Culinary beginners will absolutely love ChefRick.com, a comprehensive soul food website that incorporates many helpful hints in addition to recipes. The good thing about this site is that the menu located on the left side of the screen categorizes the site according to region (of dishes),dish styles, and lots of useful web site links. One area of particular interest is the “substitutions.” Many recipes are very specific about the ingredients required to complete an entrée. But this “Substitions” section provides extensive examples of what items can and cannot be switched during preparation.
The Heart-Healthy Soul Food Enthusiast : Soul-Food-Advisor.com
There is the belief that soul food in its traditional sense can in no way be healthy. While many customary dishes are indeed laden with fat and calories, they all need not be. This very organized website contains an entire section of recipes which are deemed “low-fat” or “reduced calorie.” If you’re planning on hosting a holiday soul food meal for a group of avid dieters, then you’ll certainly want to check out this section of the web site. With offerings such as Oven Fried Chicken, and Low Fat Southern Crumb Cake, you’ll have a hard time convincing your guests that all those extra calories are really absent.
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