In search of america's best recession busting food
I've eaten with rednecks,
artisans and high society ladies
but there's a missing piece of my southern food jigsaw.
You know, the black hands really influence in a big way
the flavour of the food
here in america now
how it's put together, it's like a real fusion.
I'm meeting one of the areas best known soul food cooks.
Nicki Bush.
Nice to meet you! I like to do hugs, I don't do handshakes.
Then let's hug babe!
How are you? How's it going?
Nicki's restaurant has become a hub
for savannas african american community
Um, pretty much with soul food
it dates back to slavery and when slaves were brought over
they ended up being given the meat
that was not wanted. More or less the meat that was thrown out for trash and what they
did, when you have no money for your family, you put your soul into it.
And that's pretty much how it originated.
I'm gonna try a funky twist on soul food
with a surf and turf dish.
So I'm going to get a good local sausage right
and I'm going to squeeze it out, because they make good sausage around here.
Right this is the quickest way to make meatballs.
Add them to a pan with some bacon and cayenne pepper.
And as soon as this bacon and meatballs get like
dark
and delicious, I'm going to bang in the
beautiful shrimp.
I'm serving it with the famous grits. Corn based food which is a bit like porridge.
The cheese and the butter is going to enrich it.
and make it lovely.
It's Georgia's official state dish.
But I've got a surprise for Nicki.
I'm taking collard greens, a staple dish for brought to america by the
salves.
And I'm blending them in to a pulp.
This will definitely seem strange to them but I'm just hoping they're going to like it
Collard greens grits
I know, I know, bear with me.
You wait until you put it in your mouth though Tiger.
Right at the moment I'm
wondering what it's going to taste like.
with the greens and with the grits.
It's actually good.
I probably would have put a pinch of salt in it.
Is it not salty enough? No. Which bit? The grits or the
The one thing about soul food is that it's always seasoned.
Here you go, it's grits with sausage and shrimp.
I've put my soul into it
but what does Nicki's eighty one-year-old mom think of it? Who cooked?
Jamie did
Mister Jamie.
You need to become a bit tighter with your salt.
Just add salt to it!
Just make sure it's got a bit more salt in it. Thank you Mum. wonderful
Bless you!
Hahaha!