Sunday Dinners

Sunday dinners is a new blog I am going to bring to you every Monday. I will be capturing the food,  fun, and stories my family shares at our after church Sunday lunches.

Large Sunday lunches were apart of my childhood growing up. My great grandmother loved to cook. She would make a feast. There might be 30 or more people and that was just family. It didn’t even include church members and/or visiting guests that she would invite for lunch.

The creaking of the screen door alerted her that her guests were piling into her home. Warm fragrances of meats, baked goods, and more would capture your senses at the door. Once entering the kitchen, grandma (as I always called her even though she was my great grandmother) would embrace me and kiss my cheek. So could warm you up from your head to your toes. She just had that way about her.

As one of the youngsters, it was my responsibility to either set the table or fill glasses (started off with glasses and then as my grandmother got older and the number of people increased, the glasses turned into red solo cups) with ice.  Her dining room table which usually sat some of the adults and the others scattered throughout the kitchen and living room with the kids, was beautifully adorned with a lace table cloth.

The best part of being one of the youngsters was that you got to fix your plate first. My eyes would light up at the sight of the golden brown biscuits. Her biscuits were extraordinary, light and fluffy interior with a crusty exterior. A large roaster held her meats whether slow braised roast or oven baked ham. The same roaster pan would hold her chicken and dressing. She would always make enough to feed a crowd. To accompany the meats, vegetables such as green beans, field peas, and creamed corn and rice and gravy would also cover the stove top.

It is hard to choose a favorite of her meals but if I had to, it would be her seafood gumbo. By the size of her pot, you would think she was feeding a hundred people. She would say no one was going to leave hungry. I loved this about her. She demonstrated hospitality so effortlessly.

I tried to recreate her famous gumbo last Christmas. I was so nervous for her to try it. I told her I had to work on achieving a darker roux. That was a secret to her gumbo.

She liked it!

My great grandmother passed away last year. One of her daughters, my great aunt Ilene, has carried on the tradition of Sunday lunches at her home. She shares many characteristics of my great grandmother with her cooking skills, hospitality, and warm demeanor.

Stay tune for next week’s Sunday Dinners blog post for food, fun, and stories.