Soul food is an immigrant cuisine that combines West African, Western European, and American culinary traditions. The expression "soul food" originated in the mid-1960s when "soul" was a common word used to describe African-American culture. Soul food is intensely seasoned and uses a variety of spices to add robust flavor to food and savory sauces. While all soul food is Southern food, not all Southern food is soul. Soul food cooking is an example of how really good African-American cooks cooked with what they had available to them. Our guest chef tonight will be Darlene Anderson who will present a healthy and tasty all-vegan menu of her favorite family recipes: