It was back in 2000 that my dear friend and mentor Jean Anderson, the cookbook author, introduced me to the game-changing Southern cook known as Mama Dip…and to her wonderful restaurant, Mama Dip’s Kitchen, in Chapel Hill, NC. We spent several days together recording a Thanksgiving special for “Cooking Live” and I became quite fond of the lady.
This past May 20, Mama Dip died at the age of 89. Ten days later, Kim Severson wrote a great obit about her for The Times. The lead describes Mama Dip as “a slave’s granddaughter who opened a North Carolina restaurant that proved so successful she caught the attention of presidents, publishers, and sports stars.”
Here’s a link to the whole piece.
Thanks for sharing! I’m now sharing on FB and Twitter
This was an amazing story about an incredible strong woman. I remembered her from your Cooking Live show. Hearing about her life was very impressive. Thank you for sharing this!
Mama dip had a tip to keep okra from being gooey. I can’t remember it and would appreciate someone letting me know what it was or where I could find it. Thanks Helen Sanders
Helen, I think I remember her suggesting that you cook it whole, which keeps the mucilaginous juices inside.