By Holy Week. Easter falls on March 31st this year — earlier than Mama's anniversary, which means the ham and the chicken happen two weeks apart instead of the usual one. The separation feels wrong, like a rhyme scheme that's been disrupted. But the cooking doesn't care about the calendar. The cooking cares about the need, and the need is: Easter dinner for whoever can come.
Derek and I hosted again at the townhouse. Just us, Zoe, and Curtis this year — Marcus at Morehouse (finals approaching), Jasmine at Howard (same), Isaiah at Charlotte (basketball tournament week). The table for four. But four is fine. Four is holy. Jesus had three at the garden and that was enough for the most important night in history, so four at a table in College Park is more than sufficient.
Made the ham. Scored, cloved, glazed. Zoe made cornbread (her cornbread is now indistinguishable from mine, which is indistinguishable from Mama's, which is the whole point). Curtis presided from the head of the table. Derek said grace. I set Mama's plate. "To Mama." Year eight is quieter. The grief has been composted into something that grows things — the cookbook, the program, the recipes that feed people I've never met. Mama's death made soil. The soil made food. The food is the story.
Church was glorious. Resurrection Sunday. The choir sang "Because He Lives" and I held the soprano note on the bridge and thought: because she lived, too. Because Brenda Jackson lived and cooked and loved and died and the living continues through a Folgers can and a cast iron skillet and a daughter who stands at a stove every night and refuses to stop.
The ham was the centerpiece — it always is — but it’s the sides that actually hold a holiday table together, especially when the table is smaller than you’re used to. Four people instead of seven means every dish matters more, not less. Mama always had creamy corn on the Easter table, right next to the ham and the cornbread, and I’ve kept it there because some things don’t need to be reimagined — they just need to be made. This is the one I always come back to: sweet, rich, ready in minutes, and somehow exactly the right thing to set beside a glazed ham and a plate you’ve put out for someone who can no longer be there in body.
Creamy Sweet Corn
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4 cups frozen sweet corn (or fresh-cut from about 5 ears)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Melt the butter. In a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat, melt the butter until foamy but not browned.
- Add the corn. Stir in the corn and cook for 4—5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and any excess moisture has cooked off slightly.
- Add the cream cheese and cream. Add the cubed cream cheese and heavy cream to the skillet. Stir continuously over medium-low heat until the cream cheese is fully melted and the mixture is smooth and thick, about 4—5 minutes.
- Season. Stir in the sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat when the mixture is creamy and coats the corn evenly. Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm, directly alongside ham or any main.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 230 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 20g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 210mg