Kevin Mitchell Discusses Soul Food

By: The Local Palate

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The African American diaspora launched a wave of cooking traditions and styles throughout the United States that became synonymous with “Southern,” “comfort,” or “down-home” food. As descendants of enslaved people moved throughout and beyond the South, they adapted old family recipes to meet the changing ingredients and socioeconomic conditions. In the mid-20th century, the term “soul food” became broadly used to describe the style of food found in Black communities—a style reflected in many food traditions found in the South.

The 2021 Gather ‘Round event in Atlanta invited a panel of chefs and recent cookbook authors to discuss their thoughts on soul food and its influences on their cooking. Panelists included Kevin Mitchell, chef and instructor at the Culinary Institute of America in Charleston. Mitchell’s been on the road in the past few weeks, jetting between destinations as he promotes his new cookbook Taste the State: South Carolina’s Signature Foods Recipes and their Stories. Part historical compendium, part cookbook, this book, co-authored with David S. Shields, celebrates South Carolina’s mainstay ingredients and dishes and their origin stories (just check out these okra tomato fritters!).