A Taste from My Mother's Kitchen

By Rujel Buggs

A Taste from My Mother's Kitchen: Southern Inspired Soul Food Recipes" is a journey through a culinary legacy filled with love, tradition, and vibrant flavors. This cookbook is not just a collection of recipes but a heartfelt tribute to my mother, whose kitchen wa

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rujel Buggs
• Release date: Jul 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9798330292608

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A Taste from My Mother’s Kitchen

Southern Inspired Soul Food Recipes

Rujel Buggs

Copyright © 2024 Rujel Buggs

All Rights Reserved

Dedication

This cookbook is dedicated to my dear mother, the person who introduced me to my love of cooking. She spent an incredible ninety-seven years gracing the world with her presence with a style of creating a complete meal out of leftovers or whatever was left in the pantry before we went grocery shopping.

My mother was born in Donaldsonville, Georgia, where the roads were made of good old Georgia red clay. She met a handsome man there who was visiting his mother, who just happened to be my grandmother’s best friend. The handsome man was there to meet a young lady for a night out on the town. But when he saw my mother, who also just happened to be at the house with her mother, my grandmother, he forgot all about the young lady he was supposed to meet and took my mother out instead; yes, that young man was my father.

The house where my mother met my father.

They were married for over seven decades and raised four children, who gave them seven grandchildren and, presently, six great-grandchildren.

Although my mother was from Donaldsonville, Georgia, she still managed to master dishes like steak and kidney pies and scotch eggs from being stationed in England while my father was enlisted in the Army. Each place we traveled allowed me to experience many different foods and cultures. I watched how my mother would recreate an old English-style dish into a southern classic.

My passion for cooking is uniquely one of my mother’s love languages. She loved to see people enjoy her food before taking one bite. Our home was always saturated from the aroma of herbs and spices that she used in almost all of the meals she prepared for us. I was always very close to my mom, and the time we spent together cooking will always been a cherished part of my life.

A person looking at a tablet

It took me a few years after both my parents’ passing to sit still and allow my mother to spiritually help me create this cookbook. One night, I remembered that I heard my mother say, It’s time, baby girl, it’s time to step out on faith and write your first of many cookbooks. So, by faith, I believe you will enjoy my first effort in honoring my mother with this cookbook filled with southern traditional and nontraditional dishes.

Acknowledgment

This cookbook is dedicated to my mother. I’m so thankful my mother shared her recipes with me. I will always cherish the time we spent together, Mother, and will keep those memories dear to my heart.

I also would like to thank my sweet and dear mother-in-law, Henrietta Buggs, for welcoming me into her family and always into her kitchen.

A special thanks to Sabrina Hendley, founder of Be Brandocious LLC. Sabrina is responsible for the book cover photography. She captured the essence of why this cookbook is so important to me. She truly understood the assignment.

About the Author

A person holding a basket of vegetables

My name is Rujel Denise Buggs; my parents creatively combined both of my grandmother’s names, Ruth and Jewel [Ru -jel], and blessed me with the name that I hated as a child because no one could pronounce it. I always wanted an easy and common name like everyone else. I remember my mother telling me to be proud of my name. No one can mistake you for anyone else. She said you are unique in so many ways. She added that you will always stand out from the rest, so never be ashamed of who you are. You are my jewel, and you will one day share your gifts with the world.

I always challenged myself to be better than I was the day before. Interesting to say, I’m my biggest critic. So, how did I fall in love with cooking? I can only tell you that anytime my mother was in the kitchen, I was there, too. If I wasn’t chopping something, I would be stirring something. I just love the smell of different spices blended together and creating unique flavors.

The time spent in the kitchen with my mother is priceless. Now, I spend a good amount of my time