Edible Michiana Holiday 2022

about seasonal and local cooking. And just I remember going to Georgia and having peaches fresh from there, and it’s never been like that. And Hawaii, pineapple from Hawaii is—there’s nothing like that. I went to culinary school in Vermont, and it was a French-based culinary school. I figured I wanted a bigger box of crayons to play with. It was DOING IT A SPECIAL WAY BECAUSE YOU LOVE SOMEBODY.” “...IT’S JUST GETTING THE RIGHT INGREDIENT AT THE RIGHT TIME AND

interesting because they did talk about how the French way is the way to cook. And I’m thinking, well, what about people who heat up a bunch of rocks and bake bread on it. That’s not French, but it’s amazing food. And people cook in the tagine, and people cook in all kinds of things. I had a wider belief system around food than a lot of people there because they were honing in on the French way of cooking. I feel like when I do cook something, it’s often just something very simple. Probably like Nimbi, like the peas. There’s probably not a lot in there, but it’s just getting the right ingredient at the right time and doing it a special way because you love somebody. Dé Bryant: I so appreciate you all for bringing us amazing flavors and stories. Thank you all for spending part of your evening with us. We will cross paths again, and forks and knives and plates.

Dr. Dé Bryant is a community psychologist and director of the Social Action Project and its initiative Rest for Our Weary, a community-based trauma response network. She is also on the leadership team of BLM-South Bend, the local chapter of the national movement to bring about racial justice. Because the struggle for justice is global, she has worked with partners from Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda and Ayiti (Haiti). She is on the Psychology faculty at Indiana University South Bend. Nimbilasha Cushing , known by her friends as Nimbi, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1948. From age 3 to 14, she lived with her maternal grandparents in a small town 40 miles east of Memphis, Tennessee. They were sharecroppers and she joined them in the cotton fields at age 5. In addition to being an Air Force veteran, former flight attendant and published author, she is a member of League of Women Voters, Kiwanis and South Bend Reparations Working Group. Johari Lweno is an immigrant from Tanzania. She has been in the United States for six years, working as a caregiver for people with mental and physical disabilities. In her free time she cooks Swahili food (samosas, chapati and sweet potatoes) for family and friends. She learned how to cook by helping her mother and stepmother in the kitchen and crafting their special recipes to share with others. DaiVaughn (Dai) and Olyvia (Lyv) Searcy run Mad Bull BBQ, born of their mutual respect for craft barbecue. The dying art of traditional pit master fire control and whole hog barbecue fuels their passion. Mad Bull operates as a pop-up food venue and catering company throughout Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan. Everything Mad Bull BBQ serves is made from scratch, with an intense focus on heritage and traditions. Dai’s grandparents, Willie and Tommie Pritchet, opened Fifth Street Barbecue in Niles, Michigan, in 1976. The family lost Willie in 1986, but his recipes and techniques live on through Dai and his wife, Lyv. Lisa Harris grew up in Michiana enjoying Mom’s home-cooked meals, including the annual New Year’s Day ham, sweet potatoes, coleslaw, black-eyed peas and corn bread for good luck. During summer trips to Denver, Colorado, her grandmommy made pot roast dinner, and her grandaddy fried fish that he caught in the Rocky Mountains. Lisa attended culinary school, where she played with food professionally. She is known as The Savory Muse and still cooks with Mom.

Lisa Barnett de Froberville is a French teacher and translator and the managing editor of Edible Michiana .