Savor the legacy of flavor as the captivating mother-daughter duo, Sondra and Sunja Norwood, join us for a special live taping of Roots and Recipes presented by Coca-Cola! Discover how cherished family traditions and entrepreneurial spirit blend in the kitchen to create unforgettable dishes.
Get ready for a culinary journey as they whip up a mouthwatering Southern classic: perfectly seasoned fried green tomatoes. This iconic dish is elevated with a delectable crab remoulade sauce and a refreshing Coca-Cola glaze, a testament to the Norwood family's generational recipes.
Hear heartwarming stories of kitchen memories, from a young Sunja learning the art of coffee making to the shared passion for creating delicious food that embodies family love and history. This experience celebrates the power of food to connect generations and inspire new culinary adventures.
#RootsAndRecipes #SouthernCooking #FamilyTraditions #EssenceFestival
Get ready for a culinary journey as they whip up a mouthwatering Southern classic: perfectly seasoned fried green tomatoes. This iconic dish is elevated with a delectable crab remoulade sauce and a refreshing Coca-Cola glaze, a testament to the Norwood family's generational recipes.
Hear heartwarming stories of kitchen memories, from a young Sunja learning the art of coffee making to the shared passion for creating delicious food that embodies family love and history. This experience celebrates the power of food to connect generations and inspire new culinary adventures.
#RootsAndRecipes #SouthernCooking #FamilyTraditions #EssenceFestival
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FunTranscript
00:00All right, how y'all doing?
00:02We've been cooking all day, huh?
00:04And it's been a good time so far.
00:06Oh, hey, how you doing?
00:08I'm just seeing people I see on the internet
00:11and it makes me so happy.
00:12So thank you for being here.
00:13Anyway, thank you all for stopping by.
00:15We have another wonderful panel,
00:17another wonderful demonstration to show you all.
00:19So let's get right on into it.
00:21Every family has recipes that become part of its legacy.
00:25Dishes that bring generations together
00:27and memories that are recreated one meal at a time.
00:31Our next experience celebrates those traditions
00:33through a special live taping of Roots and Recipes
00:37presented by Coca-Cola.
00:38This conversation explores the connection
00:40between family, entrepreneurship,
00:41and the recipes that continue to shape our lives.
00:45Today's guests are Sunja Norwood and she,
00:49I know that's right.
00:51She is the founder of Wicked Confections
00:53and she is an accomplished entrepreneur
00:56and culinary creative.
00:58My girl is also a pastry artist, okay?
01:02And she'll be joined by her mother,
01:04Sondra Norwood.
01:05Let's give it up for both of them.
01:08I know y'all can get a little bit louder than that.
01:11There she is.
01:13I love her on the internet, okay?
01:15I love her, love her, love her so much.
01:17Love her down.
01:19And this special experience is produced and guided
01:22by Sheree Nicole.
01:23Hi guys.
01:25Hey.
01:27Got it.
01:28Are y'all excited?
01:31Okay, I'm just making,
01:32this the only person that say a song.
01:34I know, only her.
01:34I'm going to try one more time.
01:36Are y'all excited?
01:38There we go.
01:39There we go.
01:39Are our mics on?
01:40Everybody's mics on?
01:41Mic check one, two, one, two.
01:43Mic check one, two, one, two.
01:44Okay, boy.
01:45Mic check one, two, one, two.
01:46There we go.
01:46There we go.
01:47So first of all, thank you guys so much for being here.
01:50This is our first time activating with roots and recipes on the ground at the Essence
01:55Festival of Culture.
01:56We're very excited to be here.
01:58We got a really, really cool dish for you guys and a really cool cocktail as well.
02:02So I want to start out with both of you.
02:03First of all, thank you for being here.
02:05Essence Festival of Culture.
02:06How excited are you to be here?
02:08What does being here mean to you?
02:10I'm super excited.
02:11I'm so happy that my mother can make her Essence Fest debut.
02:14Give it up, give it up.
02:16I'm just here.
02:18You know, this is a star.
02:20You're the star?
02:21You're the star of the show?
02:23Of course.
02:25I'm happy to be here because I see people I think I'm related to.
02:31Okay, okay.
02:34Listen, this is my mama, not your mama.
02:38So you have to call her Miss Sandra or Miss Norwood.
02:41She does not like people calling her mama that she didn't give birth to.
02:45Well, I love it.
02:46I love the connection that you guys have as well as the audience out here.
02:48Thank you guys for being here.
02:50Speaking of connection, family tradition, we got to get into this recipe.
02:53What are we making today?
02:55We are making fried green tomatoes.
02:57Do y'all like fried green tomatoes?
03:00Yes.
03:00With a crab rumoulade sauce and a very refreshing Coca-Cola glaze.
03:07So what makes this recipe so special?
03:09How'd you guys come up with this one?
03:13What do they mean to you?
03:14What do fried green tomatoes mean to your family, our family?
03:20Well, the fried green tomatoes are generational from my family.
03:25Our recipe, our special sauce and seasoning, but you can make it yours as well.
03:32They're versatile, but this is ours we want to present to you, the Norwoods.
03:39So, Sandra, what's happening here?
03:40We see, I see you cutting these tomatoes up.
03:42What are some of the next steps that people have to take to make these?
03:44Okay, we have our fried green, well, we have our green tomatoes,
03:47and then we're going to add some, we have our seasoned floured here.
03:50It has a little paprika in it, some salt, some pepper.
03:54Give them the whole thing.
03:55Don't tell them the whole thing.
03:58Family secrets, right?
03:59Right.
04:00She's closing.
04:00We've got to dredge these tomatoes in our seasoned flour.
04:05Then we have a, we have an egg wash with buttermilk.
04:12Okay, and then panko crumbs and corn milk.
04:16Okay, not bad, not bad.
04:18For those of you who may be saying, okay, it's not totally green.
04:21Actually, the green tomatoes are not in season right now.
04:24I want to shout out our chef, Sharina.
04:25She's right there standing.
04:27She got us some green tomatoes, y'all.
04:30Shout out to you, chef.
04:31Thank you so much.
04:32So we got, we got our, our, our tomatoes going on.
04:35What's our next step here?
04:37What's the next step here?
04:37We're going to make our crab rumoulade.
04:40Okay.
04:41Okay.
04:41You go ahead, put that in there for me.
04:43Dump it.
04:46I like how you did that, mama.
04:49I like, there you go.
04:50A natural.
04:53There we go.
04:54Can you, do you guys have a, a favorite or a memorable time that you spent together
04:59in the kitchen that you could share with us?
05:02So many.
05:05I'm old people.
05:06You're not old.
05:07You wise and seasoned.
05:11Okay.
05:11That's what we call me now.
05:13Yeah.
05:14Um, she was about six years old and I'm a coffee drinker.
05:20I love coffee.
05:22I taught her to make me the perfect cup of coffee.
05:25Mm-hmm.
05:26At six.
05:27I can't make the perfect cup of coffee.
05:29No, she didn't.
05:31I can make one, but I do not enjoy coffee.
05:34I'm not a coffee drinker to this day because I think I was too young to be drinking coffee.
05:37I traumatized her with the coffee making.
05:39That's what she says.
05:41Mm-hmm.
05:42But I love coffee.
05:43That's my first time with her.
05:47Of course, I mean, later on, we started making such as this because I love fried green tomatoes.
05:56When I was growing up, they were part of lunch, dinner, breakfast, both, and so we had fried
06:05green tomatoes and scrambled eggs, fried green tomatoes with whatever side we happen to have.
06:12It was a staple, quick, easy, convenient, cheap.
06:20How long have you been making fried green tomatoes?
06:23I started making them when I was 10 years old.
06:26Mm-hmm.
06:26Oh.
06:28Yeah, it was called child abuse magazine.
06:31I didn't know any better, but that's what it was.
06:35And there was hot grease popping at you.
06:39No, I didn't need to be in there making fried green tomatoes, but I did it.
06:43It was part of the time spent with learning from my mother what this recipe was about,
06:49what it meant, how it fed us as a family, not only with food, but custom, and tradition,
06:59and happiness, and family, everything we want to share with you.
07:05And that sounds very uplifting to me.
07:08And I want to move us along here, Sandra.
07:10What's the next step?
07:11I know that we have our mix here.
07:13We've gotten all the steps here with the green tomato.
07:16What's next in the recipe?
07:17Well, the next step would be this Coca-Cola glaze.
07:20Ooh, break it down, sis.
07:22It is vinegar, brown sugar, all the good things, and it's very refreshing.
07:27Okay, okay, okay.
07:29I want to try it.
07:30Can I try it by itself, or do I have to?
07:32I think you could try it.
07:32You want me to put it on a little?
07:33I want a little piece of something.
07:34Am I supposed to be eating up here?
07:35Can I eat?
07:36You can do what you want to do.
07:37Oh, can I eat?
07:37Okay, let me try it out.
07:38Let me try it out.
07:39All right, let me see.
07:41I need, like, some type of encouragement.
07:43Y'all want to encourage?
07:44There we go.
07:48That's really, really, really good.
07:50It's got a little spice to it, too.
07:52So why did you guys kind of add that kick to that glaze there?
07:55What was kind of the reason behind that?
07:56You want to talk about it?
07:57That's brand new.
07:58This is my innovation.
07:59This is my contribution to the family recipe.
08:02Yep.
08:05So does the glaze go, where's the glaze going?
08:08Okay, the glaze is going to go at the...
08:11Okay, so you all, this is the power of production.
08:14The power.
08:14It is finished.
08:14Okay, let me figure it out.
08:15It is finished.
08:17All right.
08:17Oh, that was so hard.
08:19Voila.
08:22Magic.
08:26We have some Coca-Cola glaze at the bottom of the plate,
08:29and then we have our fried green tomatoes and some crab rumoulot.
08:34Let me do this.
08:34Let me do this.
08:35Yes, yes, yes.
08:36Bam.
08:37Bam.
08:37Let's add a little bit to this plate over here.
08:39To this plate.
08:40Yes, since we mixed everything real nicely.
08:42Well, I have a fresh new plate.
08:44Come on, fresh new plate.
08:45Let's do a fresh new plate.
08:47So, so, Ms. Norwood, how, how many fried green tomatoes is enough?
08:52Like, should I have one, two?
08:54What, what, what should my quota be?
08:56Okay, these were our potato chips.
08:59You can't eat just one.
09:01You have to eat as meat as you want,
09:04or tell somebody to say, stop, I haven't eaten yet.
09:07That's enough.
09:08Leave some for me.
09:11Okay?
09:12I get it.
09:12I get it.
09:13I got to share.
09:14Community connection.
09:15That's what it's about.
09:16Let's add some Coca-Cola glaze to the bottom of the plate.
09:18Okay, you're gonna add it before you add the fried green tomatoes.
09:20Okay, great, great, great.
09:22Then we're gonna put some fried green tomatoes.
09:24Amazing.
09:27Some of our crab.
09:29We'll put it on this spoon.
09:31Rumelage.
09:32Crab rumelage.
09:33Rumelage.
09:36Pile it on.
09:37Nice.
09:37Nice and high.
09:40That's a nice hefty portion there, too.
09:42That looks delicious.
09:44I made it, of course.
09:45We got our garnishes over here, I see.
09:46We have several options here.
09:48You're not gonna do nothing, huh?
09:48I'm gonna do it.
09:50Okay.
09:51Was it versing you enough?
09:54Yes.
09:55That looks so good.
09:57Bam.
09:58And Sanja, you know what's cool about you?
10:00You're versatile.
10:02There are a lot of people that I know, they're chefs,
10:04but they're not necessarily pastry chefs and vice versa.
10:06You really do it all.
10:08How did you get to the point where you knew, like,
10:10I can pretty much make anything?
10:11And first of all, before you answer that,
10:12who follows Sanja on social media?
10:15So you already know.
10:16You already know how she gets down.
10:18So how did you develop that skill set
10:20where you can just make anything?
10:21I am delusional, and I believe in myself.
10:26Like, if you could do it, I could do it.
10:28Yeah.
10:28That's how I feel about it.
10:29That's how I go about life.
10:30Yeah.
10:31I want to ask both of you all,
10:32before we move to our cocktail recipe,
10:34just about, you know, sisterhood.
10:36I feel like you have created such a community on social media,
10:39community even within your own family.
10:40How has cuisine really been a connecting point for you,
10:44not only as mother and daughter,
10:45but for you as you relate to black women,
10:47especially those who are sitting in these chairs here?
10:50Oh, food, it's connected to memory,
10:53and it's connected to generations.
10:55And again, when I make my recipes,
10:57I think about why we do the things we do.
11:00What's the story behind it?
11:01What's the history?
11:02Like, why did you fry these green tomatoes?
11:06Why?
11:07Because I was told to go fry some green tomatoes.
11:09Because she was told to do them.
11:11So we don't wait.
11:11She said it was born on child abuse,
11:13and that's how you got the recipe.
11:14Okay, exactly.
11:16That's how I learned how to do it right,
11:18because I didn't want the end of that abuse to come out.
11:22Well, I'm glad you're here, Ms. Norwood.
11:25I'm going to move some of these things out the way,
11:26because I want us to get into this cocktail recipe
11:28that is really, really fun.
11:30As we kind of move some things over,
11:32we were talking a little bit earlier
11:34about where you all's family is from,
11:37which I think is very, very cool.
11:39Can you tell me a little bit about where your roots are planted,
11:43as far as where your family's from?
11:45Our roots are planted in Mississippi.
11:48I have three daughters.
11:50She's the only one who was born in the state of Mississippi.
11:54I was born in Texas.
11:56You were born in the state of Mississippi, okay?
11:59Oh, okay.
12:04Wherever it was, we are glad you were born.
12:07And that is the most important thing.
12:09Okay.
12:09Let's get down to this cocktail recipe a little bit.
12:12It is called the Blackberry Porch Swing.
12:15Whoo.
12:15Okay.
12:17It is.
12:19Coca-Cola, of course.
12:21Do we have a glass down here?
12:23Mm-hmm.
12:24If not, it's okay.
12:28Well, we pre-made it.
12:29Yeah.
12:29But we'll just talk through it.
12:30We'll talk about it.
12:32All right.
12:32What's the first step?
12:33You want one?
12:34This was inspired by my mother's first...
12:38Gonna take a sip, Mom.
12:40There you go.
12:40Which was Coca-Cola and bourbon.
12:42That's right.
12:43We had a little blackberry.
12:44Any bourbon fans in the house?
12:45Any bourbon fans?
12:46Shout out to Stephanie Eadie.
12:47She's a bourbon fan.
12:48I see you, brother.
12:49I see you.
12:51It is.
12:52Of course, refreshing Coca-Cola, some bourbon, lemon juice, blackberries, and some mint.
13:00Very simple.
13:01Did you like it?
13:02It's really good.
13:03It's really, really good.
13:05It's delicious.
13:08There's a blackberry syrup in this.
13:09Yes, there is blackberry syrup.
13:11So kind of what goes into making that syrup?
13:12Because I was most fascinated with that, actually.
13:15Oh, well, of course, blackberries, some sugar.
13:18You reduce it, and you get a syrup.
13:20Mama, you're having a good time, aren't you?
13:21You like that?
13:21I'm not mad at it.
13:22Take a sip again.
13:23You take as many scents as you want to up here.
13:25This is making me smile.
13:27You like this?
13:30It's a good drink.
13:31What's the key to like a good syrup, though?
13:34Like, how do you know, okay, I'm doing good with my syrup?
13:37And also, how do you keep it fresh?
13:38Like, I'm serious.
13:39I don't know how to...
13:40If y'all don't know by now, I'm not really a cook, okay?
13:43Don't judge me, fellas.
13:44I know there's a lot of fellas out there.
13:45Don't you judge me.
13:46But I'm not really, so I'm kind of fascinated.
13:48Like, when you make this syrup, how do you make it?
13:49How do you keep it?
13:50Patience.
13:50How does it say fresh?
13:51Patience is the key, because you have to get it reduced,
13:54and it has to be nice and thick.
13:56So that's really the key to it.
13:57And then you can put it in a glass jar, put it in the refrigerator.
14:00It keeps well.
14:01Gotcha.
14:02Okay.
14:02So we have our Coca-Cola here.
14:04I have a question.
14:04What's your question?
14:05Can you use fresh or frozen?
14:06Can you use either one?
14:08You can use either one.
14:09Okay.
14:10What was your question, Mom?
14:11I missed it.
14:11The berry is fresh or frozen.
14:14Can you use either one?
14:15She says, of course you can.
14:17Okay.
14:17You can use either one.
14:18It depends what's in season.
14:19Gotcha.
14:20Just like with these fried green tomatoes.
14:21Gotcha.
14:22Okay.
14:22So while we're kind of playing around with this cocktail here, Sanja,
14:25I want to ask you, your personality is so fun.
14:28It's so authentic.
14:29Mm-hmm.
14:31What keeps you connected to your authenticity?
14:34Why is it important for you when you come in front of people on this stage or on social media
14:38to be completely unapologetically yourself?
14:41Well, my mother is a Gemini.
14:45And so-
14:46Gemini's in the house.
14:46Gemini's in the-
14:47Oh, I see you.
14:48I see you back there.
14:49I see you right there.
14:49We know each other, right?
14:53It's trauma.
14:54Okay.
14:55Uh-huh.
14:56And I just, you know, she taught me not to give a damn.
15:00Oh, well, who else doesn't care around here?
15:03Who else?
15:04Okay.
15:05Okay.
15:05So we all in here living our best life, I'm assuming.
15:08Got it.
15:09She used to do that from a very young age.
15:10I love that.
15:11I have heard her tell her grandchildren, say you don't give a damn.
15:14Say it.
15:16Well, she does.
15:17So, Ms. Norwood, I got to ask you, even for you, what was the importance of you making sure
15:21that your children understood the importance of being themselves, especially in a world
15:26that sometimes can be judgmental and push them against doing that?
15:31My intention was to have three black women who were self-sufficient, independent,
15:41and didn't have to take BS from anybody.
15:46And so I instilled in them to have your own identity, to have your own conscience,
15:54your own strength.
15:55Do what made you happy.
15:57Do not pander to anybody else in this world.
16:02Go for yourself.
16:03And for your mama.
16:05And for your mama.
16:06Before we have a good old-fashioned classic Coca-Cola toast,
16:10I do want to ask each of you a question about the other.
16:13Sanja, I'll start with you.
16:15What is the most endearing quality that you admire about your mother and why?
16:20She's always been very supportive.
16:23I've drawn from a very young age.
16:25I'm an artist, and that's the inspiration behind everything I do.
16:29And she was always right there with me while I was drawing.
16:32She would tell me what I needed to fix, what I needed to do better.
16:35She was always very supportive.
16:37She does that with all of her children.
16:39Gotcha.
16:39And what is the most endearing quality that you love the most about your daughter?
16:45The way she thinks, the way she creates, the way she innovates and be original.
16:54I love that about her.
16:56She doesn't copy anyone.
16:58She's authentically herself.
17:00That's what I love about her.
17:03Aw, and I'm good looking.
17:04Well, you got that from me, so we all see that and know that.
17:10Well, I absolutely love it.
17:12So, we've got our fried green tomatoes posted over here.
17:16We have our glaze that's also a part of that.
17:19We have our incredible cocktail compliments as well of Coca-Cola, of course.
17:23For anybody out there that may be intimidated by this dish and thinks, like myself, I don't know
17:28how I can do all that.
17:30What would you say to them?
17:31Uh, just try.
17:33You know, you just, you never know.
17:35The reason why I'm better at it than you is because I have messed up more.
17:39Just mess up.
17:41What are you afraid of?
17:42It doesn't matter.
17:43Who cares?
17:44That's right.
17:44My mama told me that.
17:45You told her that, mama?
17:47You just told me I don't get it.
17:48I told her don't mess up.
17:52You just said don't care.
17:54Be authentic.
17:56You got that on your own.
17:59That's not what you said.
18:00Okay.
18:02I'm trying to embarrass you in front of my people.
18:04Well, I want to celebrate you guys.
18:06I want to celebrate this audience as well.
18:09Thank you guys for being here.
18:10Before we close out, of course, I want to toast to connection.
18:14I want to toast to uplift.
18:16I want to toast to the refresh that I had, just even being in you all's presence.
18:20So can we toast real quick?
18:22Is that okay?
18:22Yes, of course.
18:23Take your glass, take your glass.
18:25We're going to do the Cokes or the glasses here?
18:28Coca-Cola.
18:30All right, on three.
18:31Ladies, you ready?
18:32Yes.
18:33One, two, three.
18:35Cheers.
18:35Love it.
18:36Cheers, everybody.
18:37Thank you guys so much.
18:39How can they follow you on social media, Sandra?
18:41Oh, follow me at Wix Confections, W-I-C-K-D Confections.
18:46Get yourself, get your life and do yourself a favor.
18:49Make sure you give her a follow.
18:50Thank you guys.
18:50Enjoy the rest of Essence Festival of Culture.
18:53Thank you, everyone.
18:54Let's give them a round of applause one more time.
18:59I just love to see it.
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