Nana's Footprints in the Kitchen

Book excerpt: Chef Nellie DeLoatch, a Florida native, has created meals that have touched the hearts and filled the bellies of many around the globe. Nellie, who is a cancer survivor, believes that food offers more than physical nourishment and is an avenue to heal and connect individuals, families, and communities. Inspired by her grandmother's soulful style of cooking and dedication to serving local communities, Nellie has worked decades to perfect her multifaceted recipes which have been the main courses at countless tables. As a military wife of twenty-six years, Nellie prepared her delectable dishes for homesick military families in England, catered for civil rights icon Rosa Parks in Alaska, and often serves the homeless around the United States--just to mention a few. Nana, as Nellie is affectionately known to her three grandchildren, finds herself in several roles as she dishes out her sumptuous creations: wife, mother, sister, aunt, cousin, daughter, stepmother, mother-in-law, cook, and counselor. It is the counselor, Nellie believes, who opens up the heart to receive love, which is the essential ingredient for a successful recipe.