I Had a Dream About Food

April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr was shot down because he dared to dream. They may have killed the dreamer. But, the dream lives on. Calls for a National Day devoted to MLK began a week after his demise. But, it took 15 years to come true. In 1983, under President Ronald Reagan (of all people), despite the repeated efforts to slander his good name by folks like Jessie Helms, we finally got a federal Holiday dedicated to one of the greatest orators and minds of the 20th century. It took another 17 years for the holiday to reach all 50 states though (Thanks South Carolina and Arizona). It took time and effort, but the dream lives on. So, on the 3rd Monday of January, we celebrate the man, the myth, the dream. Since this is a food blog, we can dream of many things. Today, I Had a Dream About Food.

I Had a Dream About: Food for all, love, Equality, and Freedom

MLK was a tireless defender of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. By the mid 1950’s he was already a national figure, even though he was only in his mid 20’s. Although he never held federal office, his rhetoric, values, and belief in change through non violent means had a profound effect on the politics of the nation. He helped negotiate the civil rights bill of 1964 and voting rights act of 1965. His Ghandi like belief in Peaceful protest should be the model for all in our country and the world.

Unfortunately, there are forces at play today that are threatening these accomplishments. We all need to hark back to the wisdom he espoused. One of my favorite quotes from MLK is: “I have decided to stick to love…Hate is too great a burden to bear.” How simple, yet profound. Think about that. Today, it seems the easy thing to do is hate. But, the “burden” of hate is far to great. The best change comes from love, not hate. For if one suffers, we all suffer.

“I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.”

He didn’t have time for decadent meals

From 1955 to 1968, King was on the road most of the time. Estimates say that he traveled over 6 million miles during this period. This includes trips to a divided Berlin, Germany and a newly formed Ghana. But, most of those miles were on planes, trains, buses, and automobiles right here in the USA. And, let’s not forget the culture of hate in America at the time. Blacks weren’t allowed in “better” establishments. So, the food he and his entourage would have access to would not be anything to write home about. But, simple meals, especially “soul food” would be on the menu most places they would go. Fried Chicken, sweet potato, and Collard greens were go to orders. But his favorite food, according to sources, was Pecan Pie.

Try to picture what it must have been like for a Black man from the deep south to travel to unfriendly neighborhoods, full of angry hateful people. Yet, he always preached the Gospel of love. He was arrested almost 30 times for this, or the crime of DWB (driving while black). There is a story that when he Married Coretta Scott, they booked a room in a whites only hotel. When they arrived, they were turned away, and ended up staying at a black owned funeral home on their wedding night. How far we have come since those days! But, how much farther there is to go. Thanks to MLK’s dream of Black and White people living in harmony, we have what appears to be an integrated world.

The work is not done

But, there are still major resistances throughout the country and the world. And, it’s not just black and white. If you were born in the wrong country, or you don’t look like our “forefathers”, you must be out to destroy the American way of life. This is rich, especially when you remember our country sprung from oppressed, undesirable people. And, the waves of immigrants who built this country were all shunned as others. Now, they too, are scared to share the prosperity and freedoms our country stands for. Are not “ALL men” created equal? (Of course, this should be men and women).

And, that brings us back to food. MLK fought racial injustice with non violence. And, he called for a war on poverty as well.He, rightfully, points out that we, as Americans, and the civilized societies of the world, have the resources to eradicate poverty. We just lack the will. That was over 50 years ago. Why haven’t we addressed this easily remedied issue? Poverty isn’t race based. It’s a factor of socio-economic inequality. Look at a place like West Virginia. Their poverty rate is out of control. And, most of them are white. So, for anyone who thinks MLK day only celebrates black men and women, think again. He was fighting for all of humankind. And, his weapon of choice was not a gun or any other implement of war and aggression. he used the power of the pen, reason, faith, and Love.

I Had a Dream About Food for all

Like MLK (But nowhere near as eloquent, meaningful, or even in the same universe), I have a dream, about food for all. And, it shouldn’t seem so far fetched. If people like Elon Musk and his billionaire cohorts donated a tiny fraction of their net worth, there would be food for everyone. These people have so much money, they don’t even know what to do with it. They are spending hundreds of millions on joy rides into space. And, that doesn’t even spend the interest they earn every year. At least, Warren Buffet is trying to give away half of his fortune. He calls it “an almost incomprehensible sum.” How many times have you seen ads for starving kids in Africa, asking you to give 23 cents a day to feed a kid? Warren is right, the disparity of the ultra rich and people living in poverty is “incomprehensible.”

So, when you reflect on the life of MLK today (and anytime), think of the starving millions. Think of a world without prejudice to people based on the color of their skin, the country they come from, or the fact that they don’t have two pennies to rub together. Inequality dates back to the dawn of history. But, isn’t it better to aspire to a nobler cause?

Eat for the souls of the departed

In many parts of the world, there is a custom of eating for the dead. You may be familiar with the dia de los muertos in Mexico. We share a meal for those dear to us on birthdays or anniversaries. It is fitting that we honor the departed with food, for it is food that keeps us among the living. And, sharing with them brings them a little closer. Today, we should strive to be closer to the ideals that MLK espoused: Dignity, freedom, and love for all living beings. So, let’s share in a meal. And, perhaps share meals with those less fortunate than us. Below, we have a variation of a pecan pie recipe that Dr King would have loved. If you want more recipes to honor the man, try this Chicken and waffle recipe. And, of course, you have to have sweet potatoes.

Also, here is some food for thought. These are the words of Martin Luther King Jr.:

“As long as there is poverty in this world, no man can be totally rich even if he has a billion dollars.”

“There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we have the resources to get rid of it.”

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 1 Pie

Ingredients

  

• For Pie Dough:
• 2.5 Cups AP Flour
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 Cup Very Cold Butter Cut into 1/4 inch Cubes (best if put in freezer for 20 minutes or straight out of fridge)
• 4 to 8 Tbsp Ice cold water
• For Chocolate Glaze:
• 8 Ounces Sweet or semi Sweet Chocolate Chips, chunks, or disks
• 1 Ounce Bourbon
• 1 Ounce Vegetable Oil
• For Filling
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Light Corn Syrup (or Honey)
• 1/2 Cup Molasses
• 1/4 Cup Bourbon
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt or sea salt
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350
• Make Pie Dough: Mix all the dry ingredients together. Then, you can either use a food processor or mix by hand, add in the cold butter into 1/2 of the flour. Mix until all the butter is coated. Then, add the rest of the flour. Mix until it becomes a paste. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time, mix well. You want a solid dough, not too wet or dry.
• Lightly flour a flat, clean surface. Roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Fit the dough into a 9 inch pie tin and crimp the edges by hand. Set aside until filling is done.
• For Chocolate glaze: Melt chocolate, booze, and oil in a double boiler or in a mixing bowl over a pan of boiling water. Stir until smooth. If it is too thick, add more oil. But, don't make it too thin or it won't set up. Take half the chocolate and brush the inside of the pie shell.
• For Filling: Boil all ingredients except for eggs, Butter, and vanilla in pot for about 2 minutes. Be sure to mix it well. make sure the syrup is smooth. Remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Slowly drizzle in the hot liquid, whisking constantly until the mix is smooth. be careful not to add too fast or you could curdle the eggs. Stir in the butter and vanilla quickly. The residual heat will melt the butter.
• Fold the pecans into the filling. Then, pour the filling into the pie shell. Make sure it lies flat. Put the pie tin on top of a sheet pan to catch any drips if the pie bubbles over. Bake the pie for 45 to 60 minutes until it firms up.
• Remove the pie from the oven and drizzle with the rest of the chocolate. Cool at least an hour. When it is fully set up, you can slice it and serve. Try serving it with ice cream and a bourbon caramel sauce or just as is.

Notes

This recipe makes a large pie. But, if you’re like most of us, you know how messy pie cutting can be. Even when you cut very carefully, the crust always seems to crumble. If you have smaller tins or even muffin tins, you can make individual pies or tarts by dividing the dough equally. Either way, enjoy.

Keyword Bourbon, chocolate, Comfort food, Pecan, Pie, southern, Sweet