Mama Dip to help judge Southern cooking contest

Orange County’s most acclaimed Southern-style cook said judging an African-American food competition may be a challenge.

That’s because the contest promotes healthier versions of traditional Southern dishes — and Mildred “Mama Dip” Council doesn’t do healthy.

“Over the years, people have gotten upscale,” she said of chefs. “They’re going to take vegetables, and then they’re going to make them healthier.”

Efland-Cheeks Elementary School will host the final stage of a community cook-off at its fall festival Saturday.

The competition, which begins at noon, will feature traditional Southern staples such as collard greens and okra prepared with unconventional, healthier recipes.

The competition challenges contestants to put a healthy spin on vegetable recipes that are an important part of African American food culture. Two finalists from an earlier cook-off — Chrisean Fuller of Efland-Cheeks and D’Jenna Crayton of Chapel Hill — will compete on Saturday.

“We’re not trying to add or replace cultural traditions,” said Ronni Bowen, project director with the UNC School of Public Health, who is helping to organize the event as part of her effort to document black food traditions.

“We’re just calling the community to think about them in different ways.

“When documenting cultural traditions, we’re documenting as is,” Bowen said. “They’re closely linked to Grandma and Sunday dinner.”

Bowen, who won a $5,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for her project, said she has been collecting recorded oral histories of food stories and documenting African-American cultural food recipes. Saturday’s cook-off is a continuation of this effort.

The Rev. Robert Campbell, a local community activist and chef who has been in food service for more than 40 years, will judge the competition alongside Council.

“It’s an honor to be able to judge somebody else’s food,” he said.

An audience vote will take place, and the cook-off winner will receive $200 in cash.

Campbell said many of the dishes at the cook-off will feature locally grown produce.

“People can expect camaraderie and encouragement of each other’s community involvement,” he said.

“We’re promoting healthy choices in preparing food.”

Council, owner of Mama Dip’s at 408 W. Rosemary St., said she is used to simple, Southern-style cooking.

“I don’t use spices, just salt and pepper, so this will be one of the more difficult contests for me,” she said.

Fuller and Crayton will prepare their submitted recipes at home and then bring them to the elementary school for judging.

Bowen said Crayton will bring her spicy sauteed collard greens, and Fuller is preparing an oven-roasted okra dish.

“The high oven heat produces a browning effect and really caramelizes the okra, bringing out its natural sweetness,” Bowen said.

She hopes the results, which will be compiled in both a book and documentary, will be available to the community for decades to come.

As for 81-year-old Council, this will be one of many competitions she’s judged in her lifetime.

“I’m not excited at all. I’ve done a lot of it, you know?”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.

____________