In retrospect, food has always been an attention-getter for me. I can remember a lot of things, from an early age, that laid the foundation for who I have become today.
Although I was born in Omaha, Nebraska, I spent my early childhood in Compton, California, where my Aunt Enola and Uncle Al were my teachers. They tried to teach me how to drive in the 8th grade but that didn’t work, so they tried something else. I went from making chicken in their Fry Daddy to mastering how to cook chicken using an industrial pressure cooker. My Grandma Jones showed me how to make do with what you have, and my Aunt Betty’s fried fish will be embedded in my memory forever.
My mother was well educated, young, and single. She could not cook! We ate out a lot. I mean a lot! She worked two to three jobs, always! I spent a huge portion of my time with my cousins. My Auntie Ozzie had six children, so at an early age, I was quickly introduced to warehouse grocery shopping and how to make scrambled eggs. I didn’t realize those trips and making scrambled eggs would be so important to my future.
My Aunt Linda’s meals were always five-star—neat, clean, and always appetizing. My aunt could take a ten-cent pack of Kool-Aid to a whole other level! She would turn something simple into something grand just by cooking with love.
Although unknown to me at the time, I now realize that I have followed the path that God has laid for me. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for me next!
