— By Christina Campbell

Phoenix Correspondent



With dishes like cheesy grits laced with corn, spicy mustard greens, flavorful black-eyed peas, fried chicken, wet peach cobbler and fall-off-the-bone ribs, “soul food” is a special branch of American cuisine prepared with time and care for loved ones.

Hundreds of people turned out for the eighth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Soul Food Cook-Off at the Muskogee Civic Center Saturday to sample some of the best food the city has to offer. 

Professional and amateur cooks worked the booths, doling out bite-sized portions of traditional specialties. 

Bernice Tharpe said this was her fourth year to participate in the Soul Food Cook-Off. Her daughter and two sisters helped serve samples of tender pork roast, homemade barbecue sauce, golden corn bread, collard greens and German chocolate cake to eager visitors.

“I like socializing with the people coming in and out,” Tharpe said. “It makes you feel good when they compliment you on your cooking.”

Tharpe said soul food does more than nourish the body.

“To me, soul food is the feeling you get when you’re eating it,” she said. “It’s comfort food. It makes you feel good. When you’re sharing it with others, it’s even better.”

Saundra Smith Moore and a team from Grace Episcopal Church were participating for the first time.

“Oh, I love it here,” Smith Moore said. “First of all, it celebrates the legacy of Dr. King, which is extremely important.  The food is delicious, and there’s a wonderful sense of camaraderie and community spirit. Anyone who wasn’t here today missed something very special.”

To prepare for the crowds, Smith Moore said the team from Grace Episcopal started cooking Friday.

“We’ve cooked a lot of food,” she said. “There’s cheesy grits, 45 pounds of macaroni and cheese, two hams and 16 skillets of corn bread.”

Smith Moore said soul food is what the name implies and then some.

“To me, it embodies the food that people used from meager resources,” she said. “They turned it into something very delicious that they could share with their family and friends.”

Event organizer Cassandra Gaines said the event started eight years ago as her vision to keep black heritage and culture alive.

“We’ve had a better turnout than last year,” Gaines said. “The event brings more tourists to the city. We welcome them here. We’ve had people from Tulsa, Broken Arrow and Bixby, and as far out as Eufaula and Oklahoma City.”

Money raised goes back to the City of Muskogee for next year’s Soul Food Cook-Off, Gaines said.

Janet Brown, from the Sweet-n-Sassy Café on South Main Street, said she has been competing since the first cook-off eight years ago.

“We started preparations a week ago,” Brown said. “We made 10 gallons of black-eyed peas, seven whole cakes, 250 mini cupcakes, five gallons of tea and 14 heads of cabbage.”

Brown has won six times for her black-eyed peas and said she hoped to have a seventh first-place victory this year.

Bronko Carr manned a booth along with his wife, Nannette Robertson, and two friends from Kansas City, Mo. Guests could sample Carr’s seven different barbecue sauces, available at local Homeland and Reasor’s stores.

“There’s two things you must remember when preparing soul food,” Carr said. “First, remember to season to taste, and second, learn the relationship between spices and herbs. You do that, and sis, it’s going down.”

Results and prizes



• People’s Choice Winner ($200): Bronko Carr, booth #2

• Meat First Place ($1,000): Sharla McDaniel, booth #8

• Meat Second Place ($800): Bernice Tharpe, booth #10

• Meat Third Place ($500): Candace Lawrence, booth #7

• Vegetable First Place ($350): Janet Brown, booth #5

• Vegetable Second Place ($200): Bronko Carr, booth #2

• Vegetable Third Place ($100): Candace Lawrence, booth #7

• Dessert First Place ($600): Janet Brown, booth #5

• Dessert Second Place ($500): Bernice Tharpe booth #10

• Dessert Third Place ($200): Bronko Carr, booth #2

• Bread First Place ($300): Grace Episcopal Church, booth #6

• Bread Second Place ($200): Bernice Tharpe, booth #7

• Bread Third Place ($100): Reavis Family, booth #1

• Miscellaneous Homemade First Place ($200): Janet Brown, booth #5

• Miscellaneous Homemade Second Place ($100): Bernice Tharpe, booth #10

• Miscellaneous Homemade Third Place ($75): Grace Episcopal Church, booth #6