Michelle Braxton recalls her mother’s response when she told her she was giving up pork. “How in the world are we going to make collards without ham hocks?” she asked.
Given the close bond mother and daughter shared at mealtimes, Braxton understood that this lifestyle change would impact them both. So she figured out how to emulate those familiar flavors with onions, garlic, spices, tamari and liquid smoke — as outlined in the recipe for Smokin’ Braised Collard Greens in her debut cookbook, “Supper with Love: Vibrant, Delicious, and Comforting Plant-Forward and Pescatarian Recipes for Every Day” (Harvest, $37.50).
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Braxton changed her eating habits in 1991 after attending a lecture by rapper and vegan activist KRS-One. But it was her mom who instilled in her a love for food and sense of community.
Over lattes at a coffee shop in Decatur, not far from the close-knit neighborhood where she grew up, Braxton told me how her mother, who was white, became involved in the Civil Rights Movement in Chicago in the 1960s, and migrated to Atlanta to continue that work. That’s where she met Braxton’s father, who was Black. The couple divorced when Braxton was a small child. “A single mom raising a biracial child wasn’t well received in many places,” she said. “But she always felt most comfortable living in predominantly Black communities.”
Braxton learned to prepare meals while her mom was at work, sometimes with help from neighbors. On weekends she and her mom cooked together for fun and explored different cuisines in restaurants. That openness to new flavors inspired her creativity in coming up with new dishes with more plants and occasionally seafood. In 2014, she began sharing those recipes on a blog called Supper with Michelle, and drawing legions of followers to her multiple social media platforms.
Then in 2019, her mom passed away unexpectedly. Overwhelmed with grief, Braxton lost interest in cooking for months. COVID-19 brought her back to the stove. Homebound from her job in human resources, she rediscovered the joy of cooking favorites such as Kitchen Sink Lasagna Casserole, Smoky Salmon Chowder, and her mom’s Alphabet Soup to share with her partner, their neighbors and “unhoused members of our community who may need a warm meal.”
A book deal soon followed. “I was typing and crying, crying and typing, reliving experiences and childhood memories,” she said. Then she would remind herself that it was her mom who had encouraged her to write a cookbook and “I know it would have made her so freaking happy and tremendously proud.”
Creamy Spinach and Tomato Orzo
Credit: ErinScott
Credit: ErinScott
This recipe was inspired by a dish Michelle Braxton and her mom used to order at a favorite Greek restaurant. It’s comforting, delicious and super-easy to toss together on a busy weeknight. Braxton notes that you can easily adapt it with other seasonal vegetables or vegan dairy substitutes.
Excerpted from “Supper with Love,” Copyright 2024 by Michelle Braxton. Reproduced by permission of Harvest. All rights reserved.
AUTHOR APPEARANCE
3 p.m. March 2. Michelle Braxton will be signing copies of “Supper with Love.” A Capella Books. 208 Haralson Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-681-5128, acapellabooks.com.
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