Michelle Donovan and daughters

“I think the first time cooking grabbed my attention was when I was a little girl attending Concord Baptist Church,” said Michelle Brasher Donovan. “I noticed when we had ‘dinner on the ground’ or ‘all day singings’, as soon as Bro. Lowery Guest said, ‘Amen’ the women would hurry out the door and retrieve what they had prepared. They walked around the corner of the church to what seemed like tables that went on for miles.
“They placed each dish perfectly and unveiled their personal masterpiece. They seemed to each have a specialty that was everyone’s favorite. They stood back, allowing the children and men to rush to the table, while they smiled with special pride. I realized quickly it wasn’t even about the actual food, it was about the love and time they put into each dish and the happiness it brought the people they loved so much. It taught me the true meaning of  a ‘Southern cook’,” said Michelle.
As far back as she can remember she was intrigued by cooking and recalled climbing up on a stool in her great grandmother, Ruby Thomas’ kitchen, to watch and help her make homemade biscuits.

As a teenager her first “real job” was working for Jerry Brasher. “Need I say more? Her cooking skills are impeccable.” Later hired as a waitress by Andy Reid,  and William and Yvonne Blaylock, she said always found herself in the kitchen watching the Blaylocks, Mary Rushing, Hannah Harrell and Martha Glass, as often as she could.
“But no matter where I was or who I was watching, my mother, Donna Bennett, taught me more than anyone. I can’t tell you how many times when I first married, the pans of gravy I poured down the sink with her on the phone, because mine didn’t taste like hers. My granny always said she (Donna) was the very best cook in the family. My absolute favorite thing I finally mastered after years of practice is her potato salad. It cannot be beat!”

Michelle’s kids, Morgan 25, Brennan 20, Ashton, 16 and Anniston, 12, share her love of cooking, and still let her know they will never forget “Miss Rose Mary’s” (Shelton), cooking at the Creative Learning Center when they lived in Bruce.
Son, Brennan, works part time in the food industry while attending MSU and “is an expert at making gourmet sandwiches. He’s very creative and likes to try different combinations that work really well together.

Morgan has mastered all areas which will come in handy as she is to marry this year. Her specialty is pecan pie cake, a staple at Thanksgiving each year. The girls’ favorite things to cook are desserts. (Michelle and the girls take a monthly cake/cupcake decorating class in Madison.) We leave the grilling to my husband, David,” she said.

Weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas, she and the girls break out her cookbooks. She owns over 100 and each child has already claimed their favorite. “Bell’s Best and Pinterest are our go-to resources. We usually try the recipe as it’s written first, but end up changing things to make it our own. Like the women of my childhood church, we all have our specialties. As we get things prepared David gets the tables set up. Again, I just smile, knowing it’s not as much about the food as it is the love of being together. Even though they really seem to love the food!”

Four years ago Ashton and Anniston began home-schooling. To keep them involved, they joined a local group, JMHS. One thing offered is a monthly cooking class at The Farmer’s Table Cooking School in Madison, in which they enrolled. They learned to make everything from homemade pasta, vegetable salsa, and Banana Caramel Pie to Royal icing. At the end of every class, they sit down and share the meal they learned to prepare together.
“Even though they have learned everything from grilling to making things from scratch, their favorite was learning to make pasta, run it through the machines, and hang it to dry. This explains why their favorite food is Fettuccine Alfredo.”

“In the South, I think it’s hard to ignore how food brings us together during the best and worst times. But as a ‘Southern Mama’ I do know some of my favorite times with family and friends have been showing each other love whether it’s with a casserole during sorrow or a cake for the celebration of a marriage or birth. While we can’t extend our hearts on a plate or platter, we can extend the love we have put into each dish,” said Michelle.

Morgan’s Pecan Pie Cake
Cake: 2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups self-rising flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans
Frosting: 1-16 oz. whipped topping
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp. confectioner sugar (to taste)
Cream butter and sugar. Add flour, eggs, vanilla, and pecans. Stir by hand until well combined. Bake 30-40 minutes in a glass 9×13 baking dish at 350°. While cake is cooling, mix together whipped topping, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, and confectioner sugar until combined. Crumble cake. Layer half of cake crumbs, followed by half of frosting mixture. Repeat and then store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Kay Robertson’s ‘Willie’s Choice’ Deviled Eggs
(Miss Kay’s Duck Commander Kitchen)
12 large eggs
2 Tbsp. sweet relish
1 1/2 tsp. dill pickle relish
1 tsp. yellow mustard
About 3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
Salt and black pepper
Paprika (optional)
Boil and peel eggs. If eggs aren’t cold, chill them. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out yolks with a spoon and put them in a bowl. Add relishes, mustard, mayonnaise,  salt and pepper. Mash all ingredients together, then taste. Add more mustard, salt, and pepper if you think it’s needed. More mayonnaise can be added if it seems dry. Spoon back into egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

White Chicken Enchiladas
(Joyful Momma’s Kitchen)
7-10 soft taco shells
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2-3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup light sour cream
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
Preheat oven to 350°. Rotisserie chicken will work to make these but you can also boil it yourself. If boiled yourself,  use lots of garlic powder, onions, salt and pepper for extra flavor. Shred all the chicken. Mix chicken with cheese and roll up in tortillas. (I like to use a lot of cheese!)
In small pot over medium high heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook one minute. Add chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbling. Stir in sour cream and green chiles until you have a creamy sauce. Don’t let this boil. Pour  sauce over enchiladas.
Top enchiladas with remaining cheese. Bake about 22-25 minutes and serve. Goes great with Babalu’s Guacamole!

Babalu Guacamole
2 halved Hass avocados
1 Tbsp. sliced green onion
1 ½ Tbsp. squeezed lime juice
1 ½ Tbsp. minced red onion
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 ½ Tbsp. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Kosher salt to taste
Remove “meat” from avocados and place all ingredients in bowl. Sprinkle salt evenly over ingredients. Mash with large fork or potato masher.
Keep the mixture somewhat chunky and serve with corn or tortilla chips.