“No she didn’t?!”  “Yes (sigh), she did!”

Merriam-Webster defines “Goddess” as:  (2) “A woman whose great charm or beauty arouses adoration”.  To the naked eye, my mother fits that description quite nicely.  Whereas I know the side of her that fits this description, I know all of her sides. For me, I think of my mother as a major prick, who is quick to crack a joke at my expense and call me a dummy. Disclaimer: I am well aware of how awful this sounds.  My mom and I have a very close and loving (albeit unique) relationship and I do not intend on painting her as abusive or cruel.  This is totally not the case as she is an amazing person.  She is just quite the tool, and I enjoy exposing this to the world!  Case in point: When I was in elementary school, I would love it when my mom could get off work to come to school functions, because I knew she would cut up like the ham that she is…. Does anybody remember “The Movie” that health teachers would show to explain “the change” to pre-pubescent children? Well, the parents at my school were invited to accompany their kids to that movie and I praised God that my mom could come for some much needed comedic relief!  In the movie, there was a scene where the mother explained the  reproductive system to her daughter by making a uterus-shaped pancake that turned on my mom’s radar instantly: “Yeah right (she says, sucking her teeth), who the hell gonna make those?!

I reveled in that moment, knowing that my mom was the coolest of all the other moms.  What I did not realize; however, was that she was only going to get worse.  Now, instead of encouraging her shenanigans, I play the ‘straight guy’ to her slapstick.  I am constantly trying to remind her of her (seemingly non-existent) filter, while incessantly patting her to coax her back to reality.  I have to roll my eyes at her three times instead of one while watching her primp in the mirror as she looks at herself adoringly.  I absolutely must call her an “a-hole” when she makes a snide remark as a gentle, yet effective, reminder that she does not have to “go there.”  Amazingly, despite all of my mom’s antics, EVERYTHING changes once she begins to cook.  After taking one bite I revert back to my childhood and begin to call her “mommy”, wanting nothing more than to hug her and tell her “I love you.” I may have cussed her out twenty minutes prior, but after eating her food I am completely enamored. 

This is the case with my mom: regardless of your crappy disposition, one bite of her food makes you check yourself and be happy!  I have witnessed this effect on others with my own eyes.  For example, I’ve seen an unruly child transform right in front of me!  At first, she was randomly throwing tantrums.  Then, she started to smell the food so she got curious and decided to join my mother in the kitchen to look at it.  After seeing what was in store, she stood on a chair and declared “Let’s eat it!”  She then simmered down and ate quietly with enthusiasm.  When she was finished, she got up and began to give hugs to every individual present at dinner. Please keep in mind that this beautiful child just terrorized EVERYBODY not an hour beforehand, so it was natural for them to watch in horror as she approached. They watched in amazement while she skipped from person-to-person, hugging their knee!  Tantrums be damned, after eating my mother’s cooking that child was a vessel of love!

Hospitable Beginnings

My mother has been trained in the art of hospitality from an early age.  This wisdom was passed down from her mother, the patriarch of our family.  My grandmother Louise was known for a multitude of things: Kindness and grace, faith and food;   inviting you into her home with open arms as if you were family; and, making delicious food that was comforting and warm!  Her philosophy was simple, yet clear: "Cook with love."  And with love, my grandmother cooked.  Raised in the south and migrated to the north, Grandma had a natural passion for food.  She had worked with families from different ethnicities and backgrounds that enlightened her passions.  She wanted to cultivate her roots embedded in Soul Food by searching for new ground to break.  Traditional yet innovative, my grandmother exposed my mother to a diversity of foods.  From collard greens, ‘chitlins’ and sweet-potato pies (to die for); to duck, steak and pâté, she loved to cook and eat good food from great ingredients. She often spoke with mom and me about owning a restaurant.  She wanted it to be fashioned much like herself—a class act with a taste of home.  To continue her legacy, she took great care in fostering an appreciation for food within my mother.  Now, growing from her roots, my mom is on her path to following her dreams.

“Do people really call you ‘The Culinary Goddess’?  For real?”

No one ever imagined that mom was going back to school, not even her.  Three years ago she would have laughed in your face at the suggestion.  I can still hear her now: "What?! Whatever, man…"  The fact that she even came to school was by happenstance:  She had a friend who knew a sommelier at a restaurant in downtown Columbus. We all met with him to get advice about starting a restaurant or food business.  He told her that ultimately, she should expand her craft through education.  As the restaurant opened for dinner, we stayed and dined.  My mother, her friend and I indulged in good food and great conversation. As we soaked in the ambiance, mom and I realized that the picture on the wall adjacent to us was a Tarkay. Mom loved his artwork for their color, having two pieces of his in her living room.  Divine intervention swept upon us as we just knew that this was right.  Soon after, fate continued with an introduction of a mutual friend of hers who put her in contact with a representative from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.  She leaped out on faith and left her friends, job in "corporate America" and her kids (sniff) to go to school and follow her passion! There, she met her “BFF”, Ron, who has been her muse and guiding light to bringing her vision to fruition.  He was the genius who donned her as “The Culinary Goddess.”  Together they have started the beginning of a wonderful venture, and this blog stands to serve as its outlet.  We look forward to sharing this journey with you.

Welcome to The Culinary Goddess.

"Cheers Sweetie!"
-K