Bria Vaughn
Staff Writer
We are losing recipes. In an age dominated by UberEats, fast food, and pre-made, pre-seasoned heat-and-eat meals, we are losing the art of cooking. Sure, you might say, “But wait! I use Memaw’s recipe for mashed potatoes every holiday!” Yet somehow, the food never tastes the same. After receiving the book Vibration Cooking or, The Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl by Dr. Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, I finally figured it out: we’re not cooking from the heart. We’ve lost the art of measuring and seasoning intuitively. The reliance on exact measurements has taken the soul out of our food. Following a recipe is more than just ingredients and timing—it’s a sensory experience, a dance of intuition. Vibration Cooking is more than a cookbook; it’s a philosophy. Dr. Smart-Grosvenor articulated something I had long felt but couldn’t put into words. As a professional chef, I’d often felt a disconnect in formal culinary settings. Then I opened her book, and in the first chapter, she declared, “I never measure or weigh anything. I cook by vibration.” There it was: cooking by intuition. Allowing the ancestors to tell you when to stop adding paprika. Dr. Smart-Grosvenor, a culinary anthropologist and author, paid homage to her Gullah Geechee roots and ancestral cooking practices. She explained that energy and attitude matter in cooking. “Some people got such bad vibrations that to eat with them would give you indigestion,” she wrote. The philosophy of cooking intuitively is neither new nor novel—just forgotten. Over a decade later, I still remember the warm, decadent taste of my grandma’s peach cobbler. She’s a phenomenal cook, and her desserts disappeared in minutes at family gatherings. I’ll never forget the sweet, familiar smell that drew me to the kitchen. I grabbed a plate, added a scoop of butter pecan ice cream, and took one bite. Bliss. Later, I asked for her recipe. She said, “Add a little cinnamon, a bit of nutmeg, put some sugar… but not too much. Then bake it at 350 until it smells right.” I was baffled. How much is “a bit”? How long is “until it smells right”? My culinary training hadn’t prepared me for this. Years later, craving peach cobbler, I called her again for the recipe. Her instructions were the same, but this time, she added, “Back in my day, we didn’t have measuring cups. We used our fingers—a pinch of this, a handful of that. And always taste it first.” That was the key: intuition. I made the cobbler with love, tasting and adjusting as I went. It wasn’t as good as hers, but it was close. I was learning. For centuries, cultures relied on oral traditions to preserve recipes. Now, with unlimited access to knowledge, this tradition is fading. We are losing recipes. Literally. Ask your elders, neighbors, and community how to cook your favorite dishes. Write them down—measurements optional. As Dr. Smart-Grosvenor wrote, “The amount of salt and pepper you want to use is your business.” Cook intuitively. Whether the meal is for yourself, your family, or a loved one, be mindful of your vibrations. Cook from the heart. Cook with love. Bria & Grandma Jo’s Peach Cobbler Recipe Ingredients:
Flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, butter, egg, ice water, canned peaches, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Make a simple pie crust using flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg and ice water. Next, roll half of the crust on a baking dish. In a bowl, put a little cinnamon, sugar, a little bit of brown sugar, vanilla extract and nutmeg and mix it up. Pour most of the canned peach syrup out, so that it only covers the top. Then add the peaches to the mixture and taste it to make sure it’s sweet. Let it sit for a while to soak up all the flavor. Afterwards, pour the peach mixture in the baking dish. Then add the second half of the crust on top. Let it cook in the oven on 350. You will know it is done once it starts browning and bubbling.
Pro-Tip: Put a sheet pan under the baking dish, so you don’t mess up the bottom of your oven.
caption: Black Folks Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe.
Photo courtesy of The Soul Food Pot. https://thesoulfoodpot.com/black-folks-southern-peach-cobbler-recipe/