Robin’s Ramen

Although you never need a reason to enjoy comfort food, Harvey Weinstein and the potential death of the #MeToo movement is my rationale today. Years ago a co-worker told me that when in a hurry, her Vietnamese mother would sometimes use instant ramen to make a quick dish. Intrigued, I pressed her to explain. “Use…

Red Beans & Tri-Color Quinoa

When Mayor Pete Buttigieg introduced The Douglass Plan it made me question why he thought naming his project to benefit African Americans after a 19th century antebellum icon was a good idea. The name alone demonstrated Mr. Buttigieg had not consulted any African Americans during the devising of his plan. Fredrick Douglass was an elder…

One Minute Spinach

As we watch whatever semblance of democracy we once enjoyed evaporate into the polluted atmosphere, we still need to make sure we our bodies are properly supported and nourished. So, let’s shift the heat from the politicos in Washington back into the kitchen by putting a spotlight on spinach – a vegetable with a storied…

Creamy Cushaw Squash

Indigenous to Africa, squash is a treat that both my Grandmothers truly enjoyed. Cushaw, a slightly sweet winter version is a winner because it is one of the foods my sensitive stomach never resists. Brimming with Vitamins A,B,C and Carotene you won’t go wrong pairing Creamy Cushaw Squash with fish, fowl or lamb. Creamy Cushaw…

Red Lentil Soup

My father’s first cousin lived in Ethiopia in the 1980’s where her husband served as an ambassador from Jamaica. She taught me how to make these lentils shine in East African style. The result is very different than French Lentil Soup but no less beguiling. Red Lentil Soup is a great dish to welcome in…

Classic Southern Sauteed Cabbage

The first recipe I gave you for Sauteed Cabbage was so popular I decided I’d give you another. A good source of quercetin, Vitamin C, and fiber, African-American staple Cabbage and its’ cruciferous cousins such as Collard Greens, are likely the healthiest foods on the planet. My mother’s version of this dish, which I call…

Six Minute Brussel Sprouts

I can never do anything right enough for my mother. Well into my 30’s, my mother would still call asking what I was going to eat for dinner that evening or what had I eaten. I could have said I prepared a 5-star Michellin meal yet she would inevitably ask – but what was your…

Southern Salad

Last year I became so ill my primary care physician prescribed antibiotics. 20th century, Western medical practitioners abused their privilege to write antibiotic prescriptions so severely that bacteria has now mutated and become resistant to numerous medications. That’s why if you have a cold, flu or any type of virus, PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW A…