Nothing Says “I Love You” From a Southerner Like This
Audio link here: https://anchor.fm/with-grits-and-grace/episodes/Nothing-Says-I-Love-You-From-a-Southerner-Like-This-e1g3a4v
It can be cheesy, or not. Rice filled or without. Different types of proteins are welcomed, sometimes in combinations you might not have thought of. Soups are often used as an unexpected base and culinary creations fulfilling guilty pleasures can take form from items forgotten about in your pantry.
And if you’re from the South, you’ve likely already guessed what I’m talking about. It’s the glorious casserole.
I did a quick Google search for the history of the casserole, and a link to a Masterclass post tells me that the casserole has it’s roots most likely in Greek: “The etymology of ‘casserole’ likely dates back to the Greek ‘kuathion,’ meaning ‘little cup.’ The word eventually morphed into the Medieval Latin ‘cattia’ and settled on ‘cassole’ or ‘casserole,’ the French diminutive of ‘casse’—essentially meaning ‘pan.’ By the eighteenth century, the English-speaking world used the word ‘casserole’ to refer to a dish of cooked rice with a meaty filling baked in the oven.”
Another search brings up food blogger “Foodicles” post: “In the 1950s, casserole meals were further simplified thanks to Campbell’s canned goods. One of the most popular recipes was and is the green bean casserole using green beans and cream of mushroom soup. On top of that, Corning Ware created the iconic Pyrex pans which became the staple casserole dish still used today.”
Either way, the casserole has become an essential part of Southern life. We drop them off when a baby is born, when someone passes away, for potluck events, in any moment of need… the casserole takes center stage.
Favorites polled from my Facebook friends include chicken divan, poppyseed chicken, pineapple casserole, green bean with fried onions, and more. Often there’s recipes passed down from grandmothers, others are from the backs of soup cans, and still others are purchased from local eateries such as Grow, FOJ, Acres & Oak and more.
When someone brings you a casserole, or any offering of food, it is a true expression of love. Another search brings up even an academic paper on the subject, with this in the abstract: “We suggest that the offer of food by an empathic provider is motivated by the emotional state of one’s interaction partner (recipient). By offering food, the provider not only aims to attenuate the recipient’s negative affect but also her own. Food offering thereby becomes a means to increase positive affect for both recipient and – when the offer has the desired effect – provider. We further propose that the sharing of food resources as well as the use of food as a support behavior increases interpersonal closeness.” And from a National Geographic Article “Food is more than survival. With it we make friends, court lovers, and count our blessings. The sharing of food has always been part of the human story.”
Food is a way of displaying love, and I have experienced that love as of late with the birth of my child. Even unexpected people thought of us, and sent food along with gifts. It is in these moments I am reminded of just how richly blessed we are, even in moments of both light and dark- as must come with bringing in a new baby, and all the changes it brings. Every moment I start to feel isolated or alone, I can reach in the fridge and get this tangible reminder that we are loved and cared for.
Next time someone has a baby, or a death, or any kind of change… I’ll be sure to pass it along.
