10 Days of Aznola - No. 1 : So You Think You Can Cook?

I got invited to present a meal at the Rockland County Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.'s annual Men Who Cook event this month.

I was really excited; I've never cooked for more than 25 people before and last year I was supposed to participate but an inadvertent car crash wrecked my entry on my way to the venue.

This year as she always is, Shelly was my biggest cheerleader and supporter.

SHELLY: "You should do it babe, they will love whatever you decide to make make."

She did buy me one of those official white chef jackets to look the part.

The Saturday of the event, I'm all in. Early rising to get to BJ's (think WalMart/Sams Club or grocery supermart) getting the meat, veggies, seasonings, napkins, Bunsen burners etc.

After two hours of cooking and prep time - our kitchen looked like a hurricane had hit - Shelly was totally hyping me up...she'd ironed my white coat ....."YOU ARE GONNA WIN THIS THING BABE!"

We drive there, unload, set -up at the venue......and I start looking around at the hungry horde and the other 50 other MEN WHO COOK, with their aprons, big white hats etc.

I made what I thought would be different: the PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

They - mostly members of other fraternities (Omega Psi Phi, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma - had macaroni and cheese, (four different people made that) fried fish, fried chicken wings and other traditional "Southern cooking".

Undeterred I set up my station and then it happened.

Nothing, no one, no tasters.

Folks were walking right by and going to the other cooks' stations.; looking at me, glancing at my food. I stood there smiling.

"Would you like to try the chicken lettuce wraps?"

I was met with "No"s" and silent walk-on-bys to the catfish and mac/cheese guys.

The heckling started from the other Men Who Cook. " What's wrong over there Alpha man?" .......( I was one of two members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. participating).

Shelly came to my station and took a plate and then she did her best Don King to rally to people to my table...."It's healthy" It's really good" You should try it'.

Not one of the 150+ people there took a plate. I stood there, all up in my feelings for another 20 minutes, while the party was popping all around my station.

Then two little girls came over. 'What's in this dish sir?"

I explained and bid them on all the tasty deliciousness that awaited them.

"I'll take one," she said.

I made her a serving......

Don't you know that little girl went back, told other people how good it was, and then voted for me at then end.

She came back and asked me if I knew a man by the name of St. Louis.

"Yes I do," I said. "Les St. Louis he's a good friend of mine and my fraternity brother."

LITTLE GIRL: "He's my father."

I didn't win the competition despite the wave of tasters that came over after Les' daughter's endorsement and subsequent sending people to my station.

But I felt the biggest sense of affirmation all due to the kindness of one eight-year-old child.

Photos by Shelly.

ABOUT THE TEN DAYS ON AZNOLA
Exposing truths (nice and not so nice) about yourself leaves you vulnerable. I think sometimes on FB we only share all the good stuff - smiles, cackles, smiggles - and provoke debates with each other -religion, race relations, politics - etc. I'm always seeking the context between the two. So I'm going to go there and share with you some recent and older truths about me; things I think I found out about the world and my little space in it. I'm calling this 10 Days of Aznola. (Get it?) I hope you like it. ......