January marks National Sunday Supper Month, a tradition deeply rooted in different cultures, each with a rich history of sharing food.
Sunday Supper is a time for families, loved ones or friends to come together and share a meal while debriefing their week.
Having this special time at least once a week together fosters community and allows for time to be spent with family outside of holidays or celebrations.
Sunday Supper in the African American community
African Americans have a very rich and deep history with the “Sunday Supper” and we can see how it has evolved over time.
During chattel slavery in the United States, slaves were only able to rest on Sunday so they took this time to rest, but also connect with food and the people around them.
The rations for slaves were a little larger on those days. While not appetizing, they took advantage of any edible food they received.
“Black Americans could transform the little they had (like pig intestines) into foods as delicious and revolutionary as chitlins,” according to Time In This Time.
The evolution of Sunday Supper culture also developed through Black churches. The community came together for a church service, followed by a dinner provided by the members.
Serving dinner not only kept congregants from staying the entire service but were able to build community with the other members after a religious service. Serving dinner would be “where people could come together for a meal without worrying about segregation,” according to Tasting Table.
Thus was born Sunday Supper foods, which includes sweet potato pie, fried chicken, collard greens and other soul foods.
How you can start your own Sunday Supper
The meals do not have to be intricate or fancy–that isn’t the purpose of a Sunday meal.
Share a box of Chinese food with friends while debriefing your week. Cook a generational meal using the original recipe, with your parents and siblings all chipping in to help.
Isabel Laessig, the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement, is setting out to share her own family’s recipes, and has a passion for “bringing families back together around the dinner table.”
“It is my hope my endeavors, spanning multiple sites, cookbooks, television spots, and workshops, all converge on a central theme: food as a medium for love, tradition, and unity. Food is more than sustenance: it’s an embodiment of memories and connections”, Laessig said in her Legacy section.
Recipes to get you started
Laessig’s website features recipes spanning different ingredients, cuisines and diet restrictions.
Southern Baked Mac and Cheese is a simple, delicious labor of love that a lot of people find comfort in. For picky eaters, this is as simple as melting cheese and noodles together. Laessig also gives a lot of ways to add a spin on a plain Mac and Cheese, like adding bell peppers and jalapeños!
Peri Peri Chicken is special to Laessig as it shows her Portuguese heritage and is simple to make. Only ten minutes of prep; make the sauce in the morning and marinate, and cook the chicken before dinner starts!
She also makes the prep easy with teaching how to use appliances, like an Instant Pot, to make the recipes. Her Instant Pot Turkey Breast recipe includes testimony about how juicy and good this turkey turned out.
Her website also includes other recipes for dinners to explore and try new cuisines or techniques, depending on your skill level in the kitchen.
As January comes to an end and the year continues on, keep in mind the culture of Sunday Supper and try to incorporate these special moments into your life.