Beinga girl born and raised in Smyrna In my family, mom and dad loved to fish so my sisters and I were trained early on by Chinese parents makesme a Chinese how to tease our tiny fish bones bur swallow Southern Belle, and cooking with recipes and the meat. We also expertly spat watermelon ingredients originating fromthe Deep South not only results in an amazing array of mouth­ seeds out, and sucked shrimp or crab fron1 their shells. From whole chicken stew ro watering dishes at our fam.ily Thanksgiving table, but also in a profound appreciation "see-t h roug h nn · d" watermelon-eating contests with my cousins, we lived outside formy heritage and the women-mothers, aunts, grandmothers and more -who cooked the land of pre-cut fruit salads, fish sticks and and slaved in the kitchen, literallyand boneless chicken. Auntie made belly buns long before they hit restaurant menus figuratively, so that the restof us could savor and learn from their creations. Race, gender or foodtruc ks. Mom's beloved soups were made from and served with meat bones in and resourcefulness spawned by poverty and the bowl. Dad's signature ribs were "gnaw slavery are some of the unlisted ingredients. Like many traditional dishes around the offthe bone" type, not "fall offthe bone" pe. I wondered why back then, none of my world where written recipes are virtually non­ � existent because the cooks -women, people fnends wanted to stay fordinner. Today, when my family goesout to eat, of color and other groups considered second­ . , it s oftenSouthern-style cooking and nor class citizens -were not allowed to attend school and often couldn't read or write, their Moo Goo Gai Pan. The last time I made c linary legacies were handed down verbally biscuits, I went searching for in three � es wuh a dash of faith and a doJlop of love. differentstor before I found a block. When Traditional Chinese food, Southern did lard disappear? How does go gourmet? Why does the lowly pork belly food and food share common traits soul es despite originating on opposite sides of sandwich create two-hour wait lin ? the globe. The diet of Southern slaves Perhaps it's okay to like a foodfor what was restricted to what their owners would it is and nor what it represents. My dad provide -leftover meat parts, and vegetable loves Chinese porridge with a thousand­ year egg cur up in it and fermented bean scraps or roots. The cooking in Southern households was often doneby black female curd_ on t_he side, bur he also loves Popeye's slaves resulting in the development of Fned Chicken because it tastes good. Southern food with AfricanAl:nerican The circle of food mirrors the circle influencesand, depending on the heritage, of life. The old becomes the new and then repeats itself. Old foods create new Native American, , French and Spanish influences. They learned to use less conclusions. Will there ever be a time when foodis just food? Probably not. The story desi able off-cuts of meat such as pig's feet, � behindthe recipes are the unseen ingredients o�ra1l, ham hocks, pig ears, chitterlings, rnpe and re-used lard for cooking, I love the most. Will there be a time when we are a colorblind society? I hope nor. Eating a wide variety of animals, es vegetables and the whole of their parts Diversity is the ingredient char mak our was also a matter of survival for Chinese country great. No blending required. people who were mostly peasants and Natalie Keng isthe founderof Chinese farmers. Meat was a luxury and being picky Southern Belle, which offers cooking or throwing away anything edible was classes,food tours and demonstrations as unthinkable. Bone soups and bone-in meat wellas a line ofsauces. Find out more at stew, originating from necessity, are now chinesesouthernbelle.com. DI1

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