UPTOWNflavor

Harlem Really Cooks

On March 2, 2007 by D. Bell

A wonderful tribute to the author of Harlem Really Cooks appeared in the Miami Herald:

[Sandra] Lawrence was Harlem born and bred. Until her death at 68, she lived in the same elegant brownstone her parents had purchased. She became an interior designer, making a name for herself with projects for the diplomatic missions of several African countries. She traveled extensively in Africa as well as Europe.

In her book, released in November, Lawrence delivers a personal invitation to celebrate the evolving identity of Harlem, from the 1960s to its current renaissance. She was an insider; she knew “everybody.”

Elaine Calloway, a friend born in New Orleans, provided a recipe for Creole gumbo; Christina Figueras Colon, a former flight attendant whom Lawrence describes as ”the daughter I never had,” comes through with escovitched kingfish and ”Plantains Christina” served with a luxurious sauce of orange juice, brown sugar and Grand Marnier; Viola Adams, of Guyana, parted with her recipe for pickled pork chops that marinate overnight in vinegar and spices.

The most important source, however, is Lawrence’s mother, Doll — ”the best cook ever” — to whom she dedicated the book and whose Southern recipes are its heart and soul. The author says of her buttermilk biscuits: “I can still see my mother’s long brown fingers making these. She would laugh and talk and work. It all seemed so easy — and for her it was.”

Lawrence’s family, friends and neighbors connected her — and now us — with traditions and rituals from all over the world. We get family lore — her own and that shared by friends. She enlivens the recipes with personal anecdotes that convey universal values. Everyone’s mother or grandmother made the best fried chicken, but . . .

The churches, shops, hangouts and clubs, the seasons and holidays — notably those special to the black community — contribute. There’s exuberance, blues, silliness and sophistication, all amplified by the late Benny Andrews’ evocative paintings of stylish Harlem denizens.

Harlem Really Cooks presents a legendary neighborhood as if it were an elegant potluck: Everything is served with warm and welcoming style.

Read the whole article here