#soul-food

#soul-food

Whether parades and pop music festivals are your thing, or you have your heart (and tastebuds) set on soul food, we are here for you with a ton of great ideas for this weekend. So let's get to it, shall we? (As always, be sure to double check event and venue websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines or other details.) Meanwhile, if you'd like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or w.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.

While the term "soul food" was coined in the 1960s, the style of cooking is way older, passed down through generations. Originating from slave plantations, soul food recipes were developed when enslaved people applied African flavors to the dishes they served their enslavers and the scrap meat and animal feed (cornmeal) they were given to eat. After emancipation, Black people further perfected their recipes for dishes like fried chicken, oxtail soup, Hoppin' John, collard greens, candied yams, mac-'n'-cheese, cornbread and sweet potato pie,

To start, don't ask her to incorporate any summer stone fruits in a late December menu. "I've had clients who have asked me to make a peach cobbler in December and I'm like, 'No, I'm not going to do it. I didn't put up any peaches!," she said, laughing. Holland doesn't celebrate Kwanzaa herself, but she still sees the season as a chance to celebrate the entire African diaspora.

Soul food is like soul music: You know it when you experience it, because you can feel it down in your very core. If you've ever wondered how soul food got its celebratory name, you're not alone - and it's actually fairly recent, in the grand scheme of things. The term only came into popular use in the 1960s, when it was used to describe dishes - and the love that was poured into them - that defined Black culture and history.

The aromas from her mother's traditional Tigrayan stews would waft through the kitchen as a young Weyanti Ahmed learnrd her craft, experimenting with the spare tips of onions, bell peppers and jalepenos to create my own little meals. Ahmed's mother, Hiwot, lived long enough to see her daughter, now 46, become a professional chef in downtown Oakland, with a much longer list of ingredients in her arsenal.

Bayview-Hunters Point is a historic neighborhood celebrated for its vibrant food scene, known for rich soul food like gumbo and flavorful sandwiches.

Kycie's Kitchen is set to open in Upminster on May 30, reviving its Caribbean soul food offerings with a new menu and refreshed environment.