By The yard cleaned up Saturday. The mums on the porch. The pumpkins on the steps. Tuesday at the church. Bernice's Table fed eighty this week. The kitchen team handled it. I am the conductor and they are the orchestra and we are getting better every week.
Calvin preached Sunday on David and Goliath. The church said amen. I talked to Mama at the stove. I told her the recipe was right. I told her the kitchen was holding. The cast iron skillet hummed.
Oxtails Sunday. Browned. Slow-braised. Served over rice. The bone-in stew that holds the table.
A new face at Bernice's Table this week. A young woman with a baby. I gave her two plates. She thanked me. I told her, baby, come every Tuesday.
The kitchen held, sugar. The chain extends. Amen.
Calvin Jr. called Tuesday night. He was tired. He had been at work twelve hours. I told him, baby, eat something. He said, Mama, I will. I said, what did you eat last. He said, a granola bar. I said, baby, that is not eating. He laughed.
Bernice's Table Tuesday. The team was sharp. The food held. The room held.
I stood at the kitchen window with my coffee Tuesday morning. Six o'clock. The light just coming. The yard quiet. Talking to Mama about the day ahead. The talking is its own prayer, sugar.
The garden in the side yard, sugar. The tomatoes are coming on. The okra is up. The collards are getting big. I will be canning by August. I always say I am not going to can. I always end up canning.
I had a small cry Wednesday morning at the kitchen window. No reason in particular. The grief comes when it comes. I made coffee. I went on. That is how this works.
I drove to the grocery Saturday morning. Greens, three pounds. Onions, two big ones. Buttermilk, half gallon. Cornmeal, the good kind. Salt, because I always run out of salt.
My knees were bad this week. I sat between rounds at the stove. The volunteers tried to take the spoon. I would not let them. The spoon is not negotiable, sugar.
Sunday after service Calvin and I drove past the new sanctuary site. The choir loft windows were going in. We sat in the car and looked. He did not speak. I did not speak. The watching was the prayer.
I made coffee at five Tuesday morning. Strong, with cream, no sugar (the diabetes). I stood at the kitchen window. The yard was still in dark. The day ahead was the day ahead. I went into it.
A new young wife joined the Saturday cooking class. Twenty-two years old. She does not know how to make rice. I will teach her. The chain extends.
Mr. Henderson across the street brought me a bag of pecans Friday from his tree. I made a pecan pie with them. I took half of it back to him. He said, Loretta, this is wrong, you took my pecans and gave me back a pie. I said, that is exactly right. That is how it works.
Doris called Thursday. Three times a week, the standard. We talked about Calvin's health. We talked about Harold's health. We talked about the family. We talked about what I was cooking.
The kitchen smelled like garlic and onion all afternoon Wednesday. Calvin came home from his Bible study and stood in the doorway and said, Loretta, what are we eating. I said, baby, you will see. He said, that is a yes from me. He has been saying that for fifty years.
Mr. Henderson’s pecans started the whole thing — a bag from his tree, and the only right answer was to turn them into something warm and give half of it back. That is how the chain extends, sugar. This butter pecan sauce is what I reach for when the pecans are fresh and the kitchen smells like it should: like garlic and onion gave way to something sweet, and the day has earned a little tenderness. Spoon it over ice cream, over pound cake, over whatever needs holding together — just the way the kitchen held this week.
Butter Pecan Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup pecan halves or roughly chopped pecans
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Toast the pecans. Melt butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add pecans and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until the pecans are fragrant and lightly toasted and the butter is beginning to turn golden.
- Build the sauce. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 1 minute.
- Simmer and thicken. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
- Finish and season. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Taste and adjust salt as needed — the salt opens up the pecan flavor.
- Serve. Spoon warm over ice cream, pound cake, waffles, or bread pudding. Store any leftovers in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to one week; reheat gently on the stovetop or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between intervals.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 25g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 85mg