Miss Darcy’s Recipes

I began cooking from birth practically. My mom, Bev was an unwed mother in Detroit. She had to feed us on a very tight budget. Thankfully we both learned from her mother, my Grandma Lena how to do much with little. Lena was born on a Michigan farm to Prussian immigrants in 1920. Her parents were only blessed with one son. This meant that Lena and her sisters had to do the same work as their father and brother. Lena was an accomplished gardener, preserver, cook, crafter and handywoman. Lena had me ‘helping’ her, her sisters, friends and family with whatever they were doing. This is how I learned much about survival and life itself. Working side by side with my elders as we chatted about anything and everything helped make me into the person I am today.

Growing up Bev would throw near weekly parties for friends and family. Sometimes it became a party as people dropped by to visit unexpectedly. I helped my mother prepare for the parties and unexpected guests. We made simple meals and appetizers to delight the crowd. Sometimes we would make preparations weeks in advance or simply rise early and get to work. I enjoyed it far more than the parties themselves. The time spent with others while accomplishing something was a delight.

When I got married, my father-in-law taught me how to work with a larger variety of ingredients and spices, especially from his Germanic heritage. My other husbands introduced me to Middle Eastern, North African and Indian Subcontinent cuisine. I quickly became an accomplished cook and host in my own right. My first attempt at making Chebu Jen, the daily lunch of Mauritanians and Senegalese was for a party designed to introduce myself to potential suitors. It was a complete disaster. The next time I made it as a peace offering once I married a man who wasn’t at the party for those who hosted it for me. I set the platter down and then got my plate. As soon as I returned, I asked if it was any good before digging in. The unanimous response was, “Good. Is there any more?” I confirmed that there was as they scraped the remaining crumbs and handed me the empty platter. There is no finer compliment than that.

Even if you don’t try any of these recipes or aren’t a foodie, I hope that it broadens your culinary knowledge. Maybe it will have you thinking that an ethnic restaurant might be worth a visit. You might just find a new love.