My object is my grandmother's gumbo skillet and her gumbo recipe. This skillet is a third-generation hand me down. The gumbo recipe and the skillet is significant to my family because it reminds us of our heritage and our roots in Louisiana and we continue to celebrate our culture throughout the rest of the United States. In my family, my grandma was best known for her roux recipe. Essentially, roux is made of flour and fat cooked together and it is the main ingredient of the gumbo and it and determines the thickness and how good your gumbo is going to be. My grandma used the roux to season the skillet and brown the flour to the desired color. She never needed to oil the pan because she always seasoned it so well. In 2004, my grandma was diagnosed with cancer and she proceeded to get extremely sick. In 2008, my Mom and I moved from New York to Texas to take care of her, while my dad stayed in New York and visited frequently. For my mom, accepting the fact that her mom was extremely ill and not knowing how much time she would have left with her must have been extremely difficult. This recipe has a large significance because when my grandmother passed away the recipe and skillet was handed down to my mother and she continues to make gumbo and it tastes just like how my grandmother made it. 

– Zuri Adelekan

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more