WAKE UP AND LIVE THE DREAM

What happened to honor, dignity, self-respect, purpose, and love. We have moved so far away from the moral compass until it is indescribable. There are endless theories on the genesis of values erosion in the African American race; however, the root of the problem is ingratitude. We have become calloused and ungrateful to our ancestors, the civil rights movement and Martin. If somehow we could reprogram the minds of African Americans between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five we would take our rightful place in society and be the movers and shakers God anointed us to be. Oh but there is so much competition [fashion, music, tattoos, tramp stamps, drugs, weapons, and drama]. Recalibrate your thinking, kill ignorance [not one another], fight stupidity, and live the dream our beloved Martin Luther King, Jr. imagined and died for.

ADDING YOUR OWN SPIN TO TRADITIONS

New Orleans the Cajun and Creole cooking capital of the world. You have not experienced eating until you have wrapped your lips around a fork or spoon with food on the end prepared by a real New Orleans cook. In New Orleans we take our food and cooking seriously. Our trips to the grocery store for holiday meals take on the tenor and vibration of a religious sojourn. There are certain stores we "must go to" and acquire specific foods. If Casey Jones has bell peppers four for a dollar the word spreads like a marsh wildfire. You see in New Orleans we do not just use our bell peppers for seasoning. Oh no! We stuff them. You get the point. There is a ritualistic approach to our food acquisition and preparation. Each cook has their own way of preparing New Orleans cuisine, but all we want to to know is: how it taste y'all. I love cooking and wanted to start the New Year off with a pictorial of some dishes prepared in my kitchen. Happy New Year!