Interview with Carmel Jackson

Partial Transcript: My first question is where are you from originally?

Segment Synopsis: From Michigan. Moved to Madison in 1963. Her mother cooked soul food.

Keywords: Michigan; Saginaw County; Saginaw Michigan; Soul food; family

Partial Transcript: Are there any particular foods you loved eating when you were a kid?

Segment Synopsis: Favorite foods were dressing and sweet potato pie.

Keywords: Dressing; Soul food; Stuffing; Sweet potato pie; cobbler; peach cobbler; recipes

Partial Transcript: I was a very picky eater, so-- Strange to say. I was very picky with things.

Segment Synopsis: Her father was from the south, her mother from the north, so she they had different types of soul foods.

Keywords: Chitlins; Michigan; North Carolina; Pig Feet; Soul food; black-eyed peas; desert; deserts; family; okra; southern food

Partial Transcript: Are there any foods that you tried to avoid as a child?

Segment Synopsis: Visiting family in the south, they had different staples. She had to be force-fed yams as a child

Subjects: Soul food; cabbage; chickpeas; peas; southern food; sweet potato pie; yams

Partial Transcript: So how did you learn to cook soul food?

Segment Synopsis: Discusses how she learned to cook and master meals at an early age and is still learning

Keywords: childhood; cooking; military family; pie; soul food

Partial Transcript: And then, throughout the years, watching mom, when I became a young adult--

Segment Synopsis: Mother said she could not move out until she could prepare a full three course meal

Keywords: cooking; meal preparation; soul food; young adulthood; young motherhood

Partial Transcript: You know, and you listen to-- Once we moved out, we would always call back.

Segment Synopsis: Still calls her mother to walk her through cooking steps

Keywords: Alzheimer's; cooking; recipes; soul food

Partial Transcript: So, what exactly is soul food to you? How would you describe it?

Segment Synopsis: Describes soul food as “food from my soul” and brings family together

Keywords: Melly Mel's; Soul food; cooking; process; recipes

Partial Transcript: It wasn't really just the-- It was the, you know, the greens and the mac and the corn bread.

Segment Synopsis: Says soul food cannot be thrown together but needs time and preparation

Keywords: cooking; corn bread; gravy; greens; mashed potatoes; process; recipes; soul food

Partial Transcript: I think it is-- A lot of people have different variations of soul food.

Segment Synopsis: Soul food can be different to different cultures

Keywords: African American; cabbage; corn bread; gravy; greens; macaroni and cheese; soul food; turkey

Partial Transcript: So, what was the first thing you ever made?

Segment Synopsis: Just after moving from home, she taught her friend Renee to make peach cobbler

Keywords: cooking; desert; peach cobbler; recipes; soul food; teaching; young adulthood; young motherhood

Partial Transcript: Why not the banana pudding? The banana pudding was another one.

Segment Synopsis: Discusses different types of banana pudding depending on geographic location

Keywords: North Carolina; banana pudding; desert; made from scratch; recipes; soul food; southern food

Partial Transcript: Did you ever have any cooking disasters when you were learning to cook

Segment Synopsis: Discussing some of the trial and error she faced. Got grit and sand in her greens. Put too much pepper in her greens. Easy to over-boil beans and peas.

Keywords: black-eyed peas; catering; chef; cooking; greens; hot sauce; management; recipes; restaurant; soul food; spice; trial and error

Partial Transcript: What are the most important things to know when learning to make soul food?

Segment Synopsis: Greens and vegetables are fresh. They take time to clean and prepare. Found a grasshopper in her greens.

Keywords: cooking; fresh vegetables; greens; soul food

Partial Transcript: Just because-- If we have to-- If we want to go back into history, about how a lot of soul food was-- not discovered, but--

Segment Synopsis: Soul food traces back to slavery, was leftover food given to slaves from masters. How that affected people’s cooking and eating habits - requires careful inspection.

Keywords: black-eyed peas; cooking; greens; pig feet; slavery; soul food

Partial Transcript: It's just-- To me, it's-- That's why a lot of people everyone's soul food.

Segment Synopsis: Older black folks are picky about who makes their soul food, worried that it might not be fresh or clean

Keywords: Melly Mel's; catering; interracial marriage; soul food

Partial Transcript: My next question is what made you decide to bring soul food to Madison?

Segment Synopsis: Soul food restaurants in Madison never stayed around long. Taught in the school district and did a summer cooking class

Keywords: Madison; cooking; homeless children; military family; restaurants; soul food; summer school; teaching

Partial Transcript: My dad was saying, "I need a barbecue joint, I need to retire."

Segment Synopsis: Her dad wanted to start a BBQ joint and have her cook alongside him, but he died before it opened

Keywords: BBQ; University dining; barbecue; cooking; entrepreneurship; restaurant; retirement

Partial Transcript: So I did was-- I started out with just a little place, just sandwiches and things...

Segment Synopsis: Focused on soul food, because it's what she knew and there was a demand. Soul food was popular with all audiences, and they have a lot of requests.

Keywords: Melly Mel's; banana pudding; black-eyed peas; catering; corn bread; entrepreneurship; fried green tomatoes; green beans; greens; menu; peach cobbler; recipes; restaurant; soul food

Partial Transcript: You know, my whole thing now is-- I am looking for the perfect spot.

Segment Synopsis: She is looking for new location in order to once again connect and please her customers.

Keywords: Madison; catering; customers; demand; entrepreneurship; flexibility; fried okra; greens; menu; restaurant; soul food; southern food; sweet potato pie

Partial Transcript: Now, we've gone through chicken and waffles. Chicken and waffles-- not from my family...

Segment Synopsis: Gets inspiration for new menu items from other people and restaurants

Keywords: Melly Mel's; Multicultural Student Center; UW-Madison; catering; chicken and waffles; cooking; experimentation; flexibility; fried chicken; menu; recipes; soul food

Partial Transcript: I have kids from 36 to 26, and even my grandchildren - I got one 13 and one 17...

Segment Synopsis: Says everyone who cooks soul food has a signature or “special spice”

Keywords: North Carolina; banana pudding; cooking; family recipe; greens; recipes; soul food; southern food

Partial Transcript: You know, when people come in and they say, "Well, Melly Mel, is this going to be like my mom's?"

Segment Synopsis: Says she will not cook like your mom, because every mom has a different recipe. She will be your mom while you're there.

Keywords: cooking; family recipe; recipes; restaurant; soul food

Partial Transcript: So that's the whole thing with soul food to me. Soul food is really the--

Segment Synopsis: Some people would add other things: cabbage, green beans, corn on the cob, catfish

Keywords: chicken; corn bread; dressing; gravy; greens; ham; lemonade; macaroni and cheese; peach cobbler; potato salad; recipes; slavery; soul food; sweet potato pie; sweet tea; turkey

Partial Transcript: It's the certain group of food that come together and make it soul food.

Segment Synopsis: Says soul food is international and not just for African Americans. All traditions involve a big family meal. Learned west coast soul food from her grandmother

Keywords: Melly Mel's; family; grandmother; greens; kale; menu; soul food; spaghetti; west coast

Partial Transcript: We have a lot of different foods in our family, you know.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about the different culture foods in her family

Keywords: Mexican food; deviled eggs; salad; soul food; tamales; tortillas; west coast

Partial Transcript: When I got with D'Angelo, my house, his grandmother was from the south

Segment Synopsis: Describes husband’s soul food as “raccoon in the freezer”

Keywords: country food; possum; raccoon; soul food; southern food

Partial Transcript: You know, you can look at-- go talk to someone else, and they can be a hundred miles away from where I was from...

Segment Synopsis: People in the same state could have different versions of soul food. Depended on what was available.

Keywords: Melly Mel's; beef tongue; family recipe; head cheese; oxtail; pig feet; scrapple; slavery; soul food; trapping

Partial Transcript: Can you tell me about some of your best memories of the restaurant?

Segment Synopsis: Begins a story about an international group. Interview cuts out.

Partial Transcript: [Cuts out]