Butter Pecan PodHere’s the clip of Pat Robertson inexplicably not comprehending the glory of mac n’ cheese. Adrian Miller describes this interaction at the beginning of his chapter on the dish and we shared the audio on the show, but none of this compares to actually seeing Robertson’s bewilderment.
Mac n’ Cheese is an all time favorite of ours, but Kelly did not realize that Darryl didn’t grow up with it as an “everyday food” until we recorded this episode. We investigate how Black culture made this food a special occasion dish and perfected it in a way that made it exceptional enough to serve it at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We go all the way back to 1AD and trace the history of this pasta and cheese dish all the way through colonization, emancipation, and the era of soul food. Darryl cooks the mac n’ cheese he grew up with, which was one of the first dishes he helped out with in the kitchen, and we talk about our love for Tillamook cheese.
Sources for E8. Black n’ Cheese
THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF MACARONI AND CHEESE
The History of Slavery in the Cultivation of Mac & Cheese From Elitist Dish to Cultural Staple
Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time
In Part 2 of Dieting While Black, Kelly and Darryl get into their own personal experiences dealing with body image and fat phobia. They review the history of fat phobia, race, and the long practice of “othering”. Myths about diets are revealed and they evaluate health (and lack of care) as another system that has been created in our culture and is supported by our government by giving more money to drug research instead of food subsidies.
They end the conversation by discussing self-care and ways that they move and exercise with love and care to their bodies. Food and Health and Bodies and Racism are all so tightly linked together, we hope you listen with an open mind.
Sources for Ep 7. Dieting While Black Part 2
Examing the Racist Roots of Fat Phobia
Venus Figurines of the European Paleolithic: Symbols of Fertility or Attractiveness?
Butter Pecan Pod