Cookin' n Heels

“Once my loved ones accepted the diagnosis, healing began for the entire family, but it took too long. It took years. Can’t we, as a nation, begin to speed up that process? We need a national campaign to de-stigmatize mental illness, especially one targeted toward African Americans…It’s not shameful to have a mental illness. Get treatment. Recovery is possible.”

-Bebe Moore Campbell, 2005

Did you know that National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month was driven by the efforts of a black woman???

Each one teach one…

July is Bebe Moore Campbell Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. This month is intended to bring awareness to the unique circumstances that racial and ethnic minorities face in the US that directly impact mental health. Here at SOLE Food, we aim to promote mindfulness through cooking to maintain mental health and hygiene. Thusly, it is prudent that we highlight to the unique sets of circumstances that black women face on a daily basis.

Bebe Moore Campbell was a three-time NY Times bestselling author, teacher, and journalist. She was also a daughter, a wife, and a mother of 2; one of her children is actress Maia Campbell of In The House fame. Ultimately, Mrs. Bebe was a woman, a black women, living in America. It is because of her efforts that we have this month recognized by an act of Congress, and yet, her name has all been but erased from it’s title. Quoting this article from statnews.com:

A viral push by several organizations aims to unofficially rename this month as the Black, Indigenous, People of Color Mental Health Month. This unilateral act of erasing Campbell’s name is co-opting a movement that evolved more than a decade ago.

Vacating the past circumvents the intent of Congress. Campbell sought to unite communities and expose our two-tiered mental health system. The abrupt substitution of “BIPOC” for “Bebe Moore Campbell” aims to capitalize on media attention on racial injustice following the death of George Floyd. Yet using BIPOC overlooks Campbell’s efforts, reinforcing the systemic racism that National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month seeks to expose.

-Excerpt from Say Her Name: Don’t Erase Bebe Moore Campbell from National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Black women have continued to rise in all arenas; we even have a Black woman as our Vice President! While we continue our ascent we are met with the pain of racism, inequity, and sexism. Black women continue to be disrespected and unprotected. And to add insult to injury, folks continue to profit off of our backs while all but erasing us from the narrative; or at least trying their hardest to do so. But not on tah-day!

Prime example: Darius Cooks. Now I don’t know if you all have been following this story, but here at Cookin n’ Heels we follow all the news related to foods especially when it’s soul food! Well it has come to our attention that something in the milk ain’t clean about Mr. Cooks. Angela Davis, also known as The Kitchensta, is a self taught chef and cookbook author who let it all hang out when it comes to this charlatan of unsuitable seasonings. Angela posted several receipts on her social media platforms on how Darius has allegedly stolen recipes from other chefs and sold them as his own, conducted shady business practices, not paying his employees, and even assault against black women! In fact, the majority of the victims of his alleged activities have been BLACK WOMEN! Honey she continues to show a b!tch how to go down a slide and in true messy fashion, this man had the audacity to use her name as a coupon code for his cookbooks, once again profiting on the back of another black woman. And may we add she has no affiliation with him, she just wanted to protect other Black women in the food industry. I guess that was supposed to be a clapback but let’s call a spade a spade. It was profiting off another woman’s pain-him and his followers continue to gaslight her. They have called Angela every disrespectful name in the book as she continues to air out his dirty laundry and how he continues to disrespect and profit off of our good sistas. We at Cookin n’ Heels applaud you Ms. Davis, because no longer will we stand by and watch our blood, sweat, and tears be used for someone else’s gain. Not on our watch! We won’t be erased.

Seafood Pot Pie

From her extraordinary cuisine to her love and passion for Black artists, it is our duty to preserve her legacy and to pass her wisdom and skills down to our next generation of cooks and chefs. Paying homage to the Queen of Creole Cuisine, here’s a recipe for Seafood Pot Pie that we hope will add lagniappe to your dinner table 🙃

One of the many legacies that we must preserve and protect is that of the Queen of Creole Cuisine, Mrs. Leah Chase. Mrs. Chase was a not just a chef, but she was also a cookbook author and television personality. She operated , Dooky Chase Restaurant with her husband and it served as a gathering place for activists during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Dooky Chase also served as an art gallery showcasing Black artists. Mrs. Chase was a James Beard award winning chef and the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Foodways Alliance. Quiet as it’s kept, Princess Tiara in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog was based on Leah Chase. Mrs. Chase is an icon honey, and if you’re ever in our nation’s capital , her signature red chef’s coat is in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled & de-veined
• 1/2 lb bay scallops
• abt 6 oz lump crab meat
• 6-8 oz lobster meat (langostines work well here)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 c carrots, diced
• 1 c mushrooms, sliced
• 1 c green peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp old bay or creole seasoning
• 2 tbsp duck fat
• 1/2 c sherry or lobster stock (you can also use the lobster better than bouillon)
• 1/3 c heavy cream
• 1 sheet puff pastry (at room temperature)
• salt & pepper to taste
• more old bay seasoning
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 450°F

In a heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat add the duck fat.  When it melts add the onion, celery, carrot, and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Add the old bay as well. Cook for about 5-10 mins, just until the veggies start to sweat then add the garlic.  Cook with the garlic for about 5 more mins (don’t burn this shit!).

Add the sherry and cover this and let it simmer until the liquid reduces by about a third, like 10 mins.  That way, the flavors infuse together.  Season with salt and pepper to taste before adding the heavy cream. Cover and allow the mixture to thicken.  You can also add more old bay here if you’d like.

After the mixture is combined and thickened, the seafood. It’s important to do this last so that you don’t overcook the shrimp and scallops. (Note: you can also use a white fish here, I’d recommend cod.) Spoon it into a glass casserole dish and cover with the puff pastry.  Mix the egg and water in a bowl and brush this on top of the pastry.  Bake for about 30 mins or until the pastry is golden brown.  Allow this to cool a little before serving, unless your mouth is made of wax.

Laissez les bon temps rouler

To learn more about Bebe Moore Campbell Mental Health Awareness Month, visit NAMI’s website.

Read: Say Her Name: Don’t Erase Bebe Moore Campbell from National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Read: Social Media ‘chef’ Darius Cooks accused of being a crook