by Deidre Berry
Shortly after her son’s conviction, Annette Dorsey’s 6,800-square-foot mansion is Scarsdale was unceremoniously auctioned off by the IRS for $3.2 million, the minimum bid, and in addition, Mama Dorsey was made to pay back the $22.5 million dollars that she hastily, and prosecutors say unlawfully, liquidated from Donovan’s estate.
I pulled my BMW into the driveway of the new Cantrell family home, which was a spacious five-bedroom on the north side of town.
“Well it’s about time!” Gwen said when I walked through the door. “Girl, we’ve been waiting for almost an hour to hear this big news.”
It was a Friday night, and I had called Gwen earlier in the day to tell her to gather the family together for a big announcement.
Besides Gwen, my nieces, Pam, Uncle Booney, and a few extended relatives were also there waiting with baited breath.
Unfortunately, we were still on the Alzheimer’s roller coaster, so Mama Nita was there in body, but her mind wasn’t with us on that particular day, as it wasn’t on most days. She’d had a few more “awakenings” since the first one, where she was lucid and coherent and almost back to her old self. Those days were very few and very far between, but if the smile on her face was any indication, then at least what little she could comprehend made her happy.
“Sorry I’m a little late, but you know how traffic is on the Loop this time of day,” I said.
“Yeah, yeah, okay, so what’s the news?” Pam asked, simultaneously working on her BlackBerry. She has her hands full with Mother’s Helpers these days, which took off and was much bigger and more successful than even she had anticipated.
After just thirteen months in operation, the business has earned $743,000, and Pam is already making plans to franchise the business into major cities across the country.
“All right, so I got a phone call and a few faxes from Belle today, and the distribution deal with Victory Foods finally came through,” I said, “and Mama Nita’s Authentic Creole Gumbo will be available in the frozen section of over fifteen thousand grocery stores nationwide!”
Uncle Booney shouted, “We’re in the money! We’re in the money!” and started doing the typewriter dance made famous by MC Hammer.
“Wait a minute.” Gwen was shaking visibly. “When is all this happening?”
“Well, from what I’ve gathered so far, it’s going down within the next six months,” I said, “and Belle is going to meet me at the plant in Buffalo to sign the contracts next week.”
Everybody started screaming and jumping for joy, like we had all just hit the Mega Millions jackpot. Specialty food distribution deals are hard to come by, and had the potential to earn millions upon millions of dollars per year.
Victory Foods was major in the industry, and I had Belle to thank for helping to bring the Cantrell family recipe to their attention.
Belle had screamed as if she had hit the lottery as well, when a messenger delivered that gift-wrapped box with a white bow on it.
Me, Belle, Steve, and a handful of Belle’s regular, loyal customers had all gathered at the bakery-slash-sandwich shop one evening after closing time for the big gumbo tasting.
“This, my dear, is definitely going on the menu,” Belle told me after just one spoonful.
Everyone else had adamantly nodded their heads in agreement, and then the messenger had knocked on the door. He peered in the window, holding up the package, and I thought that if only he knew what was inside maybe it would have been his life that would be changed instead of Belle’s.
Steve had unlocked the door and signed for the package that he in turn handed to his mother.
The look of surprise and sheer joy on Belle’s face when she opened the box was priceless. “Thank you, Jesus! Hallelujah!” Belle had shouted so fervently that for a minute I thought she was going to start speaking in tongues.
“What is it, Mom?” Steve had asked, rushing to hold his mother up, who looked on the verge of collapsing. Steve’s eyes got big, and he stared in disbelief at the contents of the three plastic Pathmark bags inside the box.
I had hung back along with the other customers so as not to invade Belle and Steve’s moment, but Steve pulled out the letter I had written and read it aloud.
Dear Mrs. Clarkson,
Please accept my apologies for your financial loss that occurred at the hands of Donovan Dorsey. Also, please don’t have any qualms or reservations about accepting this money, which altogether is two hundred thousand dollars. Do not view this as charity, this is YOUR money! And my only regret is that it could not have been eight hundred thousand dollars more.
Stay blessed, and thank you for not letting such a devastating turn of events dampen your beautiful spirit.
We all said how great it was, and that no one was more deserving than Belle to have recouped some of her money.
“Who would do something like this?” Steve had asked incredulously, his mouth still agape.
“Whoever it is, God bless ’em!” Belle said, pulling me into a hug.
Later that night, when we were cleaning up and it was just Belle and me in the kitchen, she had turned to me and said, “Thank you.”
“No problem, it was my pleasure,” I had said. “I’m just glad that everyone seemed to really enjoy the gumbo.”
“Well, thank you for that too, but I’m talking about the money,” she’d whispered. “I never miss an episode of Most Wanted Fugitives . . . it’s my favorite program.”
Belle had winked at me, and we smiled at each other, sharing the understanding that she had known for quite some time that I was once Donovan’s girlfriend, yet she hadn’t shunned or judged me, but instead welcomed me into her life with open arms.
The doorbell rang, and I opened the door for my sweetie, Jayson.
“Hey, babe, what did I miss?” he asked, bending down to kiss me.
It was the Jayson Cooper that had been my first love and first everything.
I had taken Mama Nita to an appointment with Doctor Butler, and went down to the hospital cafeteria while she was getting her brain scan.
After paying for a cup of coffee and a slice of lemon meringue pie, I’d looked for a place to sit and had seen Jayson with his head buried in the sports section of the Chicago Tribune.
“Paging Doctor Cooper,” I said, taking a seat across the table from him.
Jayson had smiled with his eyes when he saw me, and laid the newspaper aside. “Eva Cantrell, wow,” he said, “what a sight for sore eyes.”
For the first couple of minutes, Jayson and I had just looked at each other as if neither of us could believe what we were seeing.
Jayson and I had been the hood version of Romeo and Juliet. While other teenaged couples spent time hanging out and engaging in fun but nonproductive activities, the two of us studied together and quizzed each other on various subjects, because both of us knew that education was the only way we would ever get out of the projects.
Once we’d gotten over the initial shock of seeing each other so unexpectedly, Jayson and I got to talking and he told me he had just graduated from medical school and was now practicing pediatrics right there at Jackson Park Hospital.
Jayson was single with no kids, and was a Doctor McHottie if there ever was one, with smooth dark skin, a low-Caesar fade, and a body that I could tell was buff up underneath that doctor’s coat. The two of us had reconnected that day, and easily fell back into our relationship as if we had never spent any time apart.
“See, didn’t I tell you? I knew you two would eventually find your way back to each other,” Kyle had told me when I’d mentioned it at his commitment ceremony to Alvin.
While I was in New York, I checked the post office box that I had renewed the rental on for another year, and surprise, surprise! There was a three thousand dollar reimbursement check from Swiss Air.
Gee, thanks! I think there is something fundamentally wrong with an airline losing a hundred thousand dollars’ worth of brand-new goods, but only being obligated to pay a maximum of three
thousand. It was nothing short of highway robbery, but whether I had gotten the luggage back or more money, I didn’t plan to keep any of it. Still striving to keep my karma slate clean, I cashed the Swiss Air check and donated every penny of it to Girls Educational & Mentoring Services, or GEMS, a wonderful organization that strives to keep young women from being sexually exploited. Tameka worked with GEMS, which was a cause near and dear to her heart, and if the check from Swiss Air had been thirty thousand, I still would have donated every bit of it to them.
Tameka ended up getting a four million dollar divorce settlement from her ex-husband Jamal, plus monthly alimony and child support totaling forty-five thousand dollars a month, which serves Jamal’s trifling ass right. Tameka and I celebrated her divorce by taking her sons to Disneyland for a week. We then journeyed from Florida to Bermuda, where Kyle met up with us for five days of relaxation and fun in the sun.
The only thing I miss about living in New York is not being able to hook up with Kyle and Tameka on a whim. To do lunch, go shopping, or just hang out and talk over a glass of wine. However, we visit each other back and forth often enough so that I don’t miss them too terribly.
There is nothing quite like chilling with folks you love, and one thing I know for sure is that all the money in the world can’t buy true friendship.
Just the other day, Tameka e-mailed a poem she’d had written especially for me by poetess extraordinaire, Sharmina T. Ellis.
EVA’S JOURNEY
She was a fashionista, used to bright lights and big-
city living.
Her once thoughtless spirit caused her to take for
granted all that she had been given.
Now she is in the midst of darkness, and surrounded by
lies and deceit. Eva is feeling helpless and abandoned,
wondering how to get back on her feet.
In a state of panic, nomadic and confused, she seeks to
find common ground, in a place where she couldn’t lose.
Eva makes her way home, to the place where she felt
three feet tall. Only to find herself still amidst users,
abusers, divas, dons, pseudo friends, flaws and all.
Which road should she travel, who can she trust?
Hesitant to share her mind, body and soul, into
isolation she would thrust.
Silence is golden, for peace of mind Eva had found.
While on Sabbatical she spoke with God, who provided
her with Rebuilding blocks to a life in His Image;
nothing could be better or more profound.
Confidently, and considerably, she speaks her story
without doubt or hesitation.
The life that she now leads is of His creation.
She now understands what it means to gain lessons
from her trials and tribulations.
How to do things on her own, and live a purpose-filled
life regardless of reputation.
She has a strong, and generous heart
and her Light Shines the Brightest, her inner beauty
and glow truly sets her apart. Her search over the river
and through the woods has granted her a new Start.
Eva has risen and is now set on a new lane of existence.
Has gained strength, knowledge, and wisdom, she
remains steadfast, and unshaken by things that once
caused resistance.
She has sampled both the sweet and savory fruits of life,
battled adversity, and overcome heartache and strife.
Through humiliation, fire, and ice, the things she
knows to be true,
the Beginning and the End is all determined by the
GOD in You.
Mama Nita’s Authentic Creole Gumbo
INGREDIENTS
4 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 package of large chicken drumsticks, about 10
1 cup vegetable oil, plus ¼ cup
2 pounds of smoked spicy sausage, sliced into disks
2 cups flour
3 one-pound bags of cut frozen okra, defrosted
2 quarts of chicken stock
2 tablespoons of seasoning salt
2 tablespoons of OLD BAY Seasoning
2 tablespoons of black pepper
2 tablespoons of Accent
¼ cup of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
4 bay leaves
5 celery ribs, chopped
3 large green bell peppers, chopped
3 large yellow onions, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 16-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 small can of tomato sauce
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 dozen medium-sized crabs, or 1½ dozen small
crabs, cleaned but still in the shell
¼ cup of parsley, minced
3 pounds uncooked medium-sized shrimp, peeled
and deveined
White rice (Follow manufacturer instructions)
1 cup of green onions, chopped
½ quart of water
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly coat the chicken with the ¼ cup of vegetable oil, then roast for 25 minutes. Let the chicken cool, then remove the skin and bones. Set aside.
Cook the sausage in a large stockpot, over medium-high heat, until browned and the fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. (It is very important that the sausage you use be both spicy and smoked. This is what will help give the gumbo that authentic taste.) Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon, place on a paper towel–lined plate, and set aside.
TO MAKE THE ROUX
Pour ¾ cup of the vegetable oil into a skillet so that the bottom is covered, and heat over medium to medium-high heat. Add the flour a little at a time until it’s all blended. Add the rest of the oil as needed. Stir constantly until it’s browned to a dark fudge consistency. Be very careful not to burn or scorch the roux. It will be necessary to adjust and lower the temperature as necessary so that the roux does not burn. You will know that you are on the right track when the roux changes from a light tan shade to a dark chocolate color. This takes about 45 minutes.
In another skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of oil and fry the okra over medium heat.
TO MAKE THE GUMBO
After the roux cools to room temperature, transfer the roux into a large stockpot and slowly add the water and chicken stock while stirring continuously to make sure that it blends evenly. Add all of the seasonings, and all of the raw vegetables except for the parsley.
Next, add the sausage, chicken, okra, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and crab meat.
Simmer over low to medium heat for three and a half hours, covered. Stir frequently with a long-handled spoon, and be sure to taste periodically to check the seasonings, and adjust as necessary.
Add the shrimp, sugar, and parsley during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Remove bay leaves.
Serve over white rice, and garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.
TURNING YOUR FAMILY RECIPE INTO A FORTUNE
1. Start with the three P’s: patience, passion, and perseverance.
2. Before investing a single dime marketing your Aunt Lucille’s strawberry pound cake, do your homework first, and thoroughly research the specialty food industry. As with any business, the Small Business Administration is the best place to start. They have a wealth of information available, and offer free seminars and workshops.
3. No matter what your specialty food product is, be it salad dressing or peanut butter cookies, you have to perfect the ratios so
that they can be produced on a large scale. In this regard, it may be necessary to partner with a chemist to convert your recipe to a commercial formula that can be mass produced without negatively affecting the finished product.
4. Find a rental kitchen large enough and properly certified to test and perfect your recipe.
5. What influences shoppers to purchase a gourmet product is the packaging. You have fantastic product, right? Fantastic products deserve high-quality, eye-catching packaging. Spend a considerable amount of time developing and designing your packaging and labels. It could make all the difference between success and failure.
6. The Farmers’ Market is a cheap way to get started selling your product to the general public. They offer affordable retail space, but it will be up to you to come up with creative ways to make your space more inviting.
7. Once you have perfected your presentation, start knocking on the doors of small independent grocery stores, specialty gourmet shops, and national supermarket chains. Ask the owners /managers to stock your product, and for the opportunity to give free samplings of your product to their customers.
8. Contact specialty food distributors and arrange a meeting to present your product.
9. Breaking in is tough, but not impossible. If you can come up with a creative product that the big companies like Kraft and ConAgra have yet to touch, then you will be better able to find your space on grocery store shelves. Don’t expect blinding success right out of the gate. Small daily growth will sustain your business over the long term.
(Sources: The Food and Drug Administration: www.fda.gov; The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade: www.specialtyfood.com)
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