Chef Todd McFarlane

In commemoration of this year’s Black History Month, the Heritage Café in the basement of the MSU Union is currently offering traditional soul food, the only soul food feast available on campus. Chef Todd McFadden is showcasing his own “Southern-Style Soul Food” for yet another week, from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, February 20-24.

McFadden hopes to appeal to a broad audience with simple, traditional recipes such as fried chicken, collard greens, sweet potatoes and much more. Most of these recipes were passed down through many generations in his family, though he has modified some of them to appeal to a mainstream audience, which means no chitterlings or hog maws. “No pig feet, pig tails or oxtails either,” said McFadden.

The fairly modern term “soul food” has evolved to represent African American comfort food. With most ingredients indigenous to Africa, recipes have met the test of time and, more significantly, survived the slave trade to endure for more than 600 years. For many, family recipes were the only things that they could bring from home during their brutal displacement to the Americas.

Soul food is a combination of nutritious and healthy ingredients – primarily meats, starch, vegetables and essential spices – to be shared in a communal environment. While recipes and cuisines vary among most black families, it is the emotional bonding of the feast that truly defines the soul-food experience.

After trying Chef McFadden’s amazing fare (the first soul food I ever tasted), I couldn’t help but wonder why it took so long for the campus to offer everyone a chance to try this wonderful food. And why is this two-week showcase the only place to get soul food on campus and only during Black History Month? The nature and quality of this special brand of food is surely meant to be shared by everyone, not tucked away in a basement for just a short period of time.

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