Belton Kevin - Kevin Beltons New Orleans Kitchen

Kevin Beltons
New
Orleans
Kitchen

Kevin Belton with
Rhonda K. Findley

Photographs by Eugenia Uhl

Kevin Beltons New Orleans Kitchen

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2018 Kevin Belton with Rhonda k. Findley

Photographs 2018 Eugenia Uhl

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

Gibbs Smith

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Layton, Utah 84041

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ISBN: 978-1-4236-4895-6

To my mother Sarah, Aunt Dorothy, and Grandmother Nan, who taught me so much at the kitchen table, and to those who have shared their table with me.

Everything I needed to know about life I learned at my mothers kitchen table.

The Belton family table was blessed beyond compare. And that kitchen table, my mothers desk so to speak, was the table where we gathered to nourish not only our bodies but our souls as well. Eating my mommas amazing food was the background for all the lessons my mother, father, and grandmother Nan taught me. They believed that caring for others through acts of love, respect, and kindness are the three things that are important to a strong family. All of these lessons were learned over gumbo, paneed meat, fried fish, and boiled crabs. Thats how I came to understand what soul food really is because my mother cooked with soul, whether it was classy New Orleans recipes or Nans recipes from her mother, Grandma Sarah in nearby Canton, Mississippi. And of course, I know where those dishes are best eatenat the kitchen table with people you love.

Sitting at Moms kitchen table, life got real. My mother had a gift for gab and she exercised that while she chopped, grated, and stirred the pot, so to speak. She would get my Nan going and Dad would kick back and smile as mother and daughter did what mothers and daughters do best. Theyd laugh about the days events, theyd make plans, and most importantly, they would talk about food. Mom would say something to get my grandma started and then it would be nonstop until we finished eating. After dinner I was dismissed to the tub. Mom and my Nan would do the dishes and end the night sitting on the front porch.

My mother and I have similar personalities, and thats where I get my philosophy of life. Her idea about family and gathering around the table, not negotiable by the way, was based on what she saw as her everyday role at home. Her family was going to laugh together and enjoy all of our blessings. Home wasnt just the physical building, the furniture, or the groceries. Home was more about what the people living there did to show each other how much they were loved. Cooking was how she loved.

Of course Mom was there for all of my important events. She showed me how to be my best self. Sitting down at the kitchen table for a meal all together allowed her to share all of herself with us. Anyone was welcome at our table for a serving of my moms love.

And because she started all of our meals with either a roux or the trinity, I am affected most by dishes that use these culinary techniques. My mother loved me through food. And that love was powerful. That same love was lavished on me and my cousins Lorna and Chet by my Grandma Emily, Aunt Dorothy, and Great-Grandma Sarah. This is why food and cooking means the world to me. It connects me, grounds me, gives me my place in the world, and nourishes my soul.

Every day is a chance to share a meal and your life with your family and friends. Its as simple as being grateful every day and sharing your bounty. I strive to be grateful in real time because things may not be the same tomorrow as they are today. Make those memories every chance you get. Thats what my mom taught me. And, my mom taught me well.

Moms kitchen table is where I learned work ethic. I learned that hard work pays. I also learned that children always come first. My mother and father both had careers, and they worked full-time and more. But I was their priority, and whatever they needed to do to balance, they did. And it seemed effortless. Thats why I have such a strong drive to do right by my kids. And by right, I mean I would have dinner on the table and eat with the boys every night. It fed my soul in a most significant way. The gatherings kept us tight and bonded us more deeply than any other activity we could have taken on.

Back in my youth, kids didnt get involved in adult conversations. But that didnt mean you couldnt listen, watch, and learn. I saw and heard everything that was going on. And I cant believe how much I remember and revisit when I make decisions or try to solve issues even today. That goes for cooking, as well. My mom and Nan didnt walk me through step-by-step how to peel crawfish or snap peas. I followed their lead. They made everything easy. Things my parents discussed during dinner or during Saturday breakfast just stuck. It just amazes me how much of life we lived at that table.

You learned economics in the kitchen because thats where Mom and Dad would sit and pay bills on time and in full. That kitchen table was the doctors office, accounting office, business office, the bank, the therapist couch, it was the tailor shop, and it was the principals office too, especially when Aunt Dorothy, who was a principal, would come over.

My mothers kitchen table is where we gathered after she suddenly passed away just shortly after I began college at Louisiana State University. It was the most silence I ever felt at her table. And the silence was not something she would have approved of. She would have preferred that we were eating gumbo and making plans. That pretty much sums up her commitment to our soul, nourishing us no matter the circumstances.

Sarah Thomas Belton and Dorothy Thomas Gougis

I think about that incredible Belton household created by three of the most warm, loving humans that Im lucky to call my family. They made sure that what happened around that table meant something real for all of us. I think about Mom and Nan daily. They are my kitchen guardian angels. I always wait to the very last second to cut the bananas for banana pudding to make sure they dont turn brown because that was Moms way. I always have a bowl of cold water ready when I cut potatoes for French fries because Mom and Nan knew this trick was one of the steps to frying the best fries on earth. Recipes that called for parsley meant waiting to add the parsley at the end because Mom knew thats how you get the nice fresh taste. So I always wait until the end as well. All of this was learned around my mothers 1950s classic chrome kitchen table with the yellow cushions. Three chairs for them and one for me.

Because of its French and Spanish heritage, New Orleans is a predominantly Catholic city. The Trinity, a religious representation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has deep religious meaning. So its no wonder that onion, celery, and bell pepper, the three primary ingredients of Creole cooking, is nicknamed the trinity. You know the rule of threes. Without the trinity, you dont have New Orleans cooking. Without it, you miss the soul of the recipe.

The Beltons were a strong trinity. Dad, Mom, and Nan were tight as could be. I was the lagniappe, that little something extra that makes everything complete. As a single father, Kevin, Jonathan, and I were our own trinity. And I followed my familys lesson to gather at the table with my trinity. Thanks to our lagniappe, the boys maternal grandmother who lived with us and helped me raise them, we were successful at keeping our table blessed.