The holiday season is upon us and that stirs up memories of family gatherings around the table feasting on everyone’s favorites. The smell of turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, ham, green beans, potato salad, sweet potato pie wafting from the kitchen. The sound of kids outside playing while waiting on dinner brings back vivid images of my youth, growing up in the south. Our tradition involved the entire family gathering at grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. The menu usually consisted of the southern fare I mentioned above and other items such as macaroni and cheese, cornbread dressing and all sorts of desserts. Everyone was assigned certain dishes to bring. We had to set up multiple tables throughout the house to accommodate my large family. Those southern holiday meals with family laid the foundation for my love of cooking and writing restaurant reviews.
I grew up around some wonderful family cooks who taught me everything I know. Being the oldest of five children, my mother, Shirley Blassingame, introduced me to the kitchen when I was in the fifth grade. She once told me that you may never get married so you need to know how to cook, not only for yourself but your siblings as well. She taught me how to prepare simple things such as grilled cheese sandwiches to more complicated dishes including fried chicken and beef stew with rice, which is one of my favorite dishes. I’ll be making a request for it the next time I travel back home to see mom. I’ve not yet mastered the art of biscuit making. My grandmother, Mattie Reese, made the world’s best biscuits. She made bread from scratch every day. One of my favorite meals was her hot biscuits, black strap molasses, and a cast iron skillet of scrambled eggs and cheese. My other grandmother, Mildred Benson, was an awesome cook who taught me etiquette, how to properly set the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. I recall Grandma Mildred making liver, onions and gravy during my youth. It wasn’t among my favorite meals, but I couldn’t leave the table until my plate was clean. Those who grew up in the south know exactly what I’m talking about. These three incredible ladies molded me into the cook that I am today and provided my passion for food. They also were passionate about creating the best holiday meals and traditions that I now share with my family.
My wife Tawanna and daughters, Tiffany and Tiannah, love cooking together during the holidays. To get everyone in the holiday spirit, they put up the Christmas tree immediately following Halloween. After the tree is up, we start planning our Thanksgiving and Christmas menus. The conversations often center around who is responsible for each menu item. There also is a discussion about introducing new items to the menu. When that happens, a trial run of the new menu item takes place prior to the big day. One staple that must appear on the menu each year is meatloaf, which some might not think of as a traditional holiday dish. My mother-in-law, Shirley Brown, has a secret meatloaf recipe that rivals any that I’ve tried over the years. It’s simply lip-smacking good. Some years back, we started a new tradition in the Blassingame household – participating in the Drumstick Dash on Thanksgiving morning. The proceeds from the Drumstick Dash are used to fight hunger and homelessness. Not only are we doing our part to help others and getting some exercise, we also are building up our appetite for the big meal that will follow later that day.
COVID-19 certainly will limit who we share our holidays with this year, but it will not take away from the family traditions that have existed for years. Use your time to create some lasting memories around the dinner table while also enjoying the bounty that was prepared!
Tags: Eat. Play. Stay.
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