This week COOK had a very special class that made our guests’ hearts warm and fuzzy. After telling many stories about his mother at previous classes, Malik Ali of The Blue Duck finally brought her to help him cook! Miss Adrien, as she called herself, and her beloved son prepared a hearty soul food supper that had everyone begging for more.  Malik highlighted the southern-style dishes that his mother made for him as a child. Throughout the night his mother encouraged him to “go on, Bub,”  as they collaborated in this feel-good feast. As one of the oldest of 13 siblings, Malik helped his mom cook up large meals in the kitchen, so watching the two cook together again was a special sight to behold! Read on to see this loving mother and son duo dish out soul food classics and learn how Malik got into the culinary world through his wonderful “Momma A.”

Mac and Cheese

Ever since Malik became a chef, he has made all the dishes at his family gatherings except one: mac and cheese. This one was always made by Miss Adrien. While Malik claims that his bread pudding reigns superior, he admits defeat in the mac and cheese ballpark – he can never top her mac! Malik believes it’s due to the generous volume of cheese. Personally I believe her true secret is the addition of egg and cream cheese, resulting in a creaminess and a slight tang.  Miss Adrien made sure to throw on extra cheese for COOK guests.  The noodles are cooked just before reaching al dente and while they are still hot, she adds her five delicious shredded cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, white cheddar, yellow cheddar, Monterey Jack and parmesan), followed by eggs, cream cheese and roux. To put his own signature on his mom’s mac, Malik topped things off with a ladle of braised short ribs.

Fried Chicken

When you see a brown paper bag, is your first thought fried chicken?  For this chef, it’s a necessity. Malik grew up in South Philly on 18th and Carpenter where his love for food began.  His mother would send him and his siblings with his father to the Italian Market to stock the fridge for the week.  These family trips instilled in him a love for the Italian Market, where he got the spice blend for this dinner’s fried chicken. I got the directions for this fried chicken straight from Miss Adrien:

• Clean the chicken
• Season it with salt, pepper, garlic salt, paprika, onion powder, seasoning salt, “or whatever you want”
• Season some flour with the same spices and place the mixture in the paper bag
• Place the chicken in the bag with the flour and give it a good shake
• Shake off the chicken to remove excess flour
• Fry in hot oil

I tried a small piece and let me say it was the best fried chicken that I’ve ever had. It was served with the cornbread that his mother made for the family growing up. Smoothed over the top was a caramel-like brown sugar sauce – cornbread cake, basically, and that’s a-o-k by us!

Kool-Aid Mimosas AKA “Koolmosas”

Momma Adrien always made Kool-Aid for all the kids after school. For this class she made an adult-friendly version with fruit punch Kool-Aid,  fresh oranges and lemons that were later strained out.  It was served in a flute, topped with sparkling wine and garnished with an orange wedge. Malik paired this fancy Kool-Aid with his fried chicken. While this seems interesting to say the least, the bubbles from the sparkling wine exfoliate your tongue, perfect for fatty or fried food.

The love between Malik and his mom made this a genuine soul food experience.  One story in particular really showcased their bond: Miss Adrien was in the hospital unable to attend or cook her famous black-eyed peas for a family event. So Malik stepped up and made her dish for the family AND also brought her some in the hospital. This shows why she’s so proud of the person (and chef) he’s become.  We are proud of him too and can’t wait to have him in to COOK again!