Fried Shrimp with Bacon Asparagus Over a Black-Eyed Pea Purée
With the various injustices occurring against Black people in today's society - it can be very easy to succumb to feeling powerless and defeated. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been intentional about seeking out BLACK JOY.
I have been diving deep into the literature that the Late Edna Lewis left behind:
- In Pursuit of Flavor
Head to the link in my bio to read about my reflections of the Late Edna Lewis✨
From reading the cookbooks left by Edna Lewis, one this is clear - food brings about community, freedom, and love.
Edna Lewis highlighted the importance of using fresh (preferably that you grew yourself), local, and seasonal ingredients.
She eloquently used multiple fats to create more flavor. As well as used meats like pork as a seasoning. I know there is a lot of stigma around pork, but whether we eat it or not it is apart of our culture☝🏾
In this recipe, I tried to highlight what stood out to me from reading Edna Lewis’ work and thinking about Black (particularly) southern cuisine. Black southern food has always been eaten by the Black community no matter what part of the U.S we live in. I grew up on the East Coast, so in this recipe I used shrimp to pay homage to my hometown. For me when I think of southern cuisine, I always think of a savory main component that is either fried or seared, a green that is cooked with some type of flavorful fat, and lastly a creamy component to bring it all together.
With Juneteenth approaching, although this day comes with a lot of mixed emotions because we know as a society we are nowhere close to being free as Black people. Despite this, I have seen the Black community claim this day to envision what we want our future to look like. So whether you're taking the day to grieve, to celebrate, or to reflect - I hope that you ensure that you are nourishing yourself with a delicious meal that comes from Black roots.