A Spoonful Of Love

In Honor Of Mother’s Day, Jocelyn Delk Adams Of Grandbaby Cakes Shares Why Cooking Is A Bridge Between The Past, Present And Future.

My family never misses a chance to sit around our dining room table in fellowship. We gather for everything from our annual summer fish fries to Sunday suppers to epic holiday meals. And they all begin with us holding hands to offer prayer. Then we get into the thick of it, fixing our plates and filling the air with old-school memories and laughter.

I vividly remember one holiday when I was in Big Mama’s quaint Mississippi kitchen, standing right at her hip and wearing her apron. I was 7. Helpful sous chef that I was, I meticulously added sugar to Big Mama’s sweet potato pie filling, mimicking her instinctual tasting along the way. She prepared everything with intuition and love, and I was a true student of the game, making mental notes of recipes to add to my arsenal. Big Mama passed away last year, and now I have an even greater appreciation for what family recipes mean to me and other Black folks across the country. The kitchen has always been a gathering place for Black families, and our recipes are like patches on a quilt getting passed from one generation to the next. These recipes provide a true understanding of our heritage, and they are constantly updated with our own twists to reflect today’s tastes.