Born and raised in the Severn area of Guinea, Luci Haywood Crittenden says she has been “cooking from Guinea to Greenland.” In addition to that span of 3,000 miles, Luci has traveled to all 50 states and many foreign countries, courtesy of lifelong experiences and marriage to Tom, an U.S. Air Force pilot.
“I grew up savoring the foods cooked by my mother, grandmothers and aunts. On the Hogge side of my family, reunions and holidays, foods were really something to look forward to. Food was displayed on a long flatbed trailer. Tents, tables and chairs were from local churches. Women in the family tried to outdo each other, especially to see who could make the highest chocolate cake. My mother got 11 layers out of her dough,” Luci recalls.
“On the Haywood side, Sunday afternoons were for going out on the workboats. There were 3 to 6 boats gathered at Bush Point for Sunday dinner, where the food was placed on the washboards and makeshift tables were made out of fish boxes. Chairs were the ...