T E X A S
MetroNews DELIVERING NEWS YOU NEED
• Vol. 10 • April 13 - April 19, 2023
MY TRUTH By Cheryl Smith PUBLISHER
No disrespect intended? However! Sometimes people around you, those close, possibly related or say they love you can actually be a thorn in your side. They can say and do things that they shouldn’t do and make your life miserable! We can take a walk down memory lane and recall several times when people have had to take a “fall” of sorts because of some infraction by someone close. Without any modicum of disrespect I have to ask our First Lady to “chill,” to stand down, or take a chill pill. I was so disappointed to hear that Dr. Jill Biden even thought of inviting the losing team in the Women’s NCAA finals to the White House. The Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers defeated Iowa during March madness. As is customary, the winning team is extended an invitation to the White House. The Biden administration knows of this practice and to his credit, it wasn’t President Joe Biden who committed the error in judgement and the slip of the tongue that had Black Twitter and anyone in their right mind saying, “Yo, can you believe what she did?” Or something like that For some reason, and I have heard many, Dr. Jill also decided to invite the losing team. I know she can’t possibly feel good about the backlash that she received. I have heard folks announcing that they would not support her husband should he seek re-election. See MY TRUTH, page 13
WWW.TEXASMETRONEWS.COM
No JUSTIN No PEACE See coverage of Tennessee Three at www.texasmetronews.com
MAMA LAVERNE
Serving Up a Legacy of Love with Her Chicken and Waffle Mix Story and Photos
By Sylvia Dunnavant Hines
Texas Metro News Correspondent
According to most soulful historians, a meal of chicken and waffles began in Harlem in the 1930s, at the famous Wells Supper Club. This classic meal, which is a cross between breakfast and dinner, became a favorite of jazz musicians after they finished their late-night sessions. Today, this dish, which is labeled as southern cuisine, is served in restaurants from Louisiana to Los Angeles and Nebraska to New York. It is eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch across the country. “For me, my mama’s famous recipe for chicken and waffles comes from a rich family tradition that started after church at my grandmother’s house with soul food Sundays,” said Donna Richardson, who has been known for the last three decades as a fitness guru. “Basically, everyone would bring a dish to share. We would get to my grandma’s house and there would be about 60 people coming together because my mom had nine siblings. “We would come and gather around the table spending quali-
Mama Laverne said one of the highlights for her and daughter, Donna, was finding their product on the shelves of Target in Texas.
ty time together, watching sports and playing cards.” After Richardson’s grandmother passed, her mother Laverne Richardson, who is affectionately called ‘Mama Laverne’,
Lexis Nutt, Mama Laverne and Donna Richardson Lexis Nutt said the partnership with the Richardsons has been mutually beneficial for Al Biernat’s restaurant.
took over the task of making soulful Sunday meals for their family. At the top of her menu was the family-coveted recipe of chicken and waffles. The dish became so popular that she began to get calls to go to people’s homes and make her famous dish. “After I started cooking for the family, they began looking forward to coming to my house for chicken and waffles,” said Mama Laverne. “I did this for about 25 years. I cooked for friends, family members and even celebrities. Although they enjoyed it I just did it through love. I love people, and I love cooking.” According to Richardson, cooking is her mother’s love language. However, in 2020 they both experienced a setback. Mama Laverne was no longer able to go out and make her
chicken and waffles. Richardson’s thriving fitness and motivational speaking career also came to a screeching halt. Richardson said the concept for the chicken and waffle mix started during the pandemic. “People were calling us, but we couldn’t get to them. We started mixing up the flour and seasoning and making them for friends and family members and sending them out along with the recipe,” she recalled. “After a while the demand became so high that we could not keep up with it. Then friends would drive by and pick up chicken and waffles and we would blow them a kiss as they drove by.” Richardson and Mama Laverne soon realized that they See MAMA LAVERNE, page 9