Cultural Pleasures- Inspired by painter Aaron Douglas entrancing 1929

Appreciating fine art, fine music, and fine cuisine is a part of African American culture as back-breaking labor and liberating struggle. Inspired by painter Aaron Douglas entrancing 1929.

Crisis cover is shown here art connoisseur, and Gordon Bleu chef  Geneva Francais of New York and Atlanta imagined a frequent Harlem Renaissance event the rent party.

"What would the Harlem Renaissance writers serve at a rent party now?"

Francais wondered, "How can affordable fare- your basic, meat, and three staples: chicken  bread, gravy, and greens  be made to carry the ambiance of that period?"

The ambiance: Duke Ellington's satin sounds at The Cotton Club and in the air. And the profoundly cool insouciance of another Douglas painting, "Weary As I Can Be," that might have been torn from a magazine it illustrated and tacked to the rent party's apartment wall.

 And above all, the camaraderie of being young, gifted, black, and in New York only two generations after emancipation, when more than 90 percent of Aframs still lived hard in the South.

Here is Francais' answer to a tested and elegant meal that spans 70 years in the life of the Crisis and carries on its tradition of celebrating the broad spectrum of Afram culture and endeavor.

What is AFRAM? The AFRAM Festival celebrates African American life, music, and culture. This family-oriented event is filled with entertainers, children's activities, arts, history, education, health & wellness, and more. The Baltimore AFRAM Festival is presented by Baltimore City Recreation & Parks.

Harlem Savory Waffles with Fried Chicken and Gravy.

2 Servings
Waffles
1 cup milk
6 teaspoons butter melted
3 eggs beaten
3 cups flour all-purpose only
5 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons of your favorite early fresh and finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1 10oz package frozen collard greens thawed squeezed finely chopped lightly sauteed
1 cup grated cooked carrots several drops of hot sauce

Lightly sauteed onions, mushrooms, and collard greens in 3 tablespoons of butter. Beat all wet ingredients. This includes vegetables and hot sauce in a large bowl. Mix all dry ingredients in another large bowl, pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and mix well until combined. Let batter rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for handling waffle iron. Retrieved batter. Stir. Pour batter onto greased waffle iron and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat.

Chicken and Gravy

8 boneless skinless chicken breast cut in strips
Some seasoned flour
1 cup of orange juice
1 cup good burgundy
1 cup canola or peanut oil

Coat chicken strips with seasoned flour. Saute in oil, then remove from the pan and keep warm. Add 2 tbsps of seasoned flour to the pan. Stir in orange juice and burgundy and cook for 5 minutes to deglaze the pan and thicken the gravy. Strain gravy.

To serve, put the waffle on a plate.
Arrange chicken strips atop a waffle on a plate and cover them slightly with gravy.

12 servings.
Garnish plates with orange slices that diners can nibble to clear the palate.

1998 pg 36 Crisis November