My Story “Mama’s Kitchen”
This book is dedication to my mother and father. I want to give them their flowers while they are still with me here on this earth. In the bible it is written “Train up a child in the way he/she should go: and when he/she is old, he/she will not depart from it. ” Proverbs 22:6 Thanks to my Father Hoover Chambliss and my mother Sadie Mae Bennett. For training me as a child to be the woman I am today.
The recipes in this book are family recipes, that I have converted reducing the cholesterol, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. These changes have produced tasty home style recipes which bring back good memories of Sunday dinners and everyday supper time gatherings. Straight from the heart.
My mother’s grandfather Solomon, owned and operated a small cafe called “The Cafe”, located on Florence Street, in Jackson Mississippi, from 1915 to 1963. He was also a chef on the Southern Railroad lines. My grandmother Earnestine, was a caterer who specialized in Jewish foods. She married my grandfather Tall who was Porter for Pullman Company, which gave him the opportunity to travel and leave Mississippi. My mother’s family eventually left Raymond Mississippi where my mother was born. They moved to St. Paul Minnesota. Then they moved from St. Paul Minnesota to Helena Montana, to Great Falls Montana. Then settled in Seattle Washington in 1951. During their years of traveling my grandmother continued worked as a cook and housekeeper.
My parents married in 1954, and had 4 children. They had three sons and one daughter. I have fond memories of sitting at my mother’s feet, while she worked in her kitchen. Preparing greens and ham, cornbread, red beans and rice, and pound cake. As a toddler, I would pull out the pot, pans and bowls. Using a spoon I would imitate her every move. She was and is my idol.
My parents divorced when I was young. So I had the good fortune of growing up in two different households. We lived with my mother and step father in a small city outside of Seattle called Mountlake Terrace. As I grew older, my mother began to teach me the art of cooking with her loving touch and patience. At the age of 4, I had mastered the art of preparing a perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. By the age of 5, I was a Bluebird with the Camp Fire Girls. As a Bluebird I was on my way to learning how to cook. At the age of 6 was involved in the Campfire Girls and the Girl Scouts as a Brownie. My mother became the Leader of our Brownie Troop, and taught us how to cater a Mother’s Day Brunch. We served finger sandwiches on colored bread, dainty pastries, cookies, and punch. At the time I did not know that this was the first of many catering event that I would be involved in during the course of my life.
By the time I was 9 years old, my mother had trained and taught my brothers (Hoover, Preston & James) and I, how to prepare the basics, vegetables, rice, meats, fish, and chicken. She taught us how to read and follow recipes. At that time we were blessed with another sibling, a little sister (Mariko). So my brothers and I prepared the meals for each other and my mother while she took care of the baby. Supervised by my stepfather Jim, who is also a really good cook. Our family meals were always full of good food and fun.
Every holiday I would be in the kitchen with mama. I was her assistant, she would tell me what to do and I would do it. Watching her every move, asking questions, and becoming closer to her. Thanksgiving we would prepare turkey with corn bread dressing, candied yams, pound cake, tossed green salad, greens and neck bones. On Christmas she would prepare glazed ham with sweet potato pudding, green beans with red potatoes, and coconut cake. Our New Years meal would consist of Seafood Gumbo with rice, black-eye peas and ham-hocks, with corn bread. To this day I look forward to spending time with Mama in her kitchen.