A Chef's Dream
I never thought anyone could make a bread pudding as great as my momma. Interestingly, my momma was never known as a cook and never wanted to be. The thing that made her bread pudding so absolutely fantastic was the love that was stirred into every spoonful. She knew how much I loved her special treat and because she rarely cooked, I waited with great anticipation for this treat to be made. After my mother's death, I didn't eat bread pudding for a good while.
Years later, one Sunday after church, I saw one of my dearest friend's brother Maurice with a line of hungry church folks waiting to buy some food items from the back of his auto. This long line of drooling, smiling faces was an indication that there was something good at the end of that line. So I joined that line, and much to my joy, there were a few goodies that got my saliva glands draining too. There was banana bread, banana pudding, potato soup, shrimp bisque, and OMG! BREAD PUDDING!
As hard as it is to admit, I must confess that this delicious bread pudding gently covered with rum sauce rivaled that made by my mother.
Chef Maurice’s delectable bread pudding. Photo courtesy of Pauline Mansfield.
I learned that Chef Maurice spent countless years watching his mother, Annie Nell, and his Grandma Sadie prepare downhome southern dishes back in the day. He, his family, and hundreds of their church family members and friends knew these women were the real deal, 'The Truth!,' when cooking in the kitchen. As a child, Chef Maurice enjoyed watching them, and his aunts prepare meals for the saints so that he could help serve them in between church services and at special functions. Watching the people's reactions after they began to dig into these tasty dishes was exciting to him, and that has stuck with him all these years. He has always dreamed of opening a restaurant for his mom to share her delicious food with the world.
After working thirty years for various airline catering facilities in several cities in the United States, he has decided to use the gift with which God has blessed him. At the seasoned age of fifty-two, he decided to expand his knowledge and return to school (The Art Institute of Atlanta) and get a degree in culinary arts. Obtaining this degree and becoming a certified chef let him know that he could do anything through Christ who strengthens him.
Maurice considers this a life-changing experience and says it has widened his perspective and has expanded his palate for flavors that excite his taste buds. He is now prepared to live out his dream inspired by his mother.
Chef Maurice and mother, Annie N. Chavis.
In 2021, Maurice lost his mom, but he pulls from her heavenly spirit to be his adviser and overseer as he stirs & shakes up some things here in the Atlanta area. His newfound love for the spices has led him to concentrate on what he calls SMAJ, a fusion of Southern / Mexican & Jamaican flavors. Maurice is also putting an exclamation mark on soups & sauces that are some of his fan favorites. He has recently challenged himself to create vegan cuisine and loves the experience, challenge, and education.
His main ingredients for success are God, family, and friends. His wife Chandra keeps order in place by managing his calendar of events and his clientele's schedules. What a plus, so he can concentrate solely on his customer needs.
Chef Maurice considers this career change a blessing and, most importantly, feels that this is the beginning of a ministry. Maurice clearly remembers the day he realized his new journey was a spiritual one. While sharing samples of his bread pudding at the Farmer's Market, two different women who sampled the pudding responded in the same way. One began to cry as she recalled the taste of her grandmother's bread pudding. She never took the time to get her recipe before she died. At that moment, Chef Maurice knew this was about more than just food; it was about love. He knew then that this was his calling and that there was so much more to come! He believes that others will be blessed to pursue their dreams by hearing and watching his testimony unfold.
“If God can do this for me, He can surely do it for you.”
I have been blessed to find a chef who puts as much love in his dishes as my mother put in her special bread pudding, made just for me with so much love.
