We are at day 40 leading to May 6th–the final day of our campaign for The Cooking Gene.  

I am sure a lot of people want the food pics and the recipes now, and the how to on this project.  Unfortunately I have to be tentative about that until we know we will be able to do this financially.

I have been praying and praying and working my butt off with my friend Joey to make this Tour happen.  We’re juggling so much that its exhausting and tiring.  

And every once in a while, you get a day like this.

I think I knew about Nancie McDermott in passing but when I looked at my email this morning….I just couldn’t believe my eyes.  If you don’t know Nancie–take a gander–she has a website and also has a wordpress blog–so we’re blog cousins.  (We are planning on making her Southern Pies and Southern Cakes part of our guidebooks for the Tour!  You can get them at Amazon and B/N…) 

Today we thank Nancie for our first 500 dollar contribution for The Cooking Gene.  

Nancie–if you’re reading this and I hope you are—I broke down and cried and I started praying on the spot.  This project is about finding family long gone and creating family anew.  Your work is so extensive and wonderful, but for you to say this is worth investing in and planting the seeds for is really humbling and I cannot thank you enough on behalf of my family, my Ancestors, and all the folks in Southern history–black, red and white–and more–who lived and died so you and I could tell the story through our writing, cooking, and visions for what Southern food can be and should be.

So Nancie–G-d bless you from your new African American/Jewish brother 🙂

Peace to your house and may the blessings keep flowing!

Michael

If you want to follow Nancie’s example and donate to our project–please do.  We have donation packages from 5 -1,000 dollars.  We need you–40 days and this project closes.  Nothing is too small, and we encourage each and every reader to spread the word about this blog as well as the Indiegogo page.  Need a link?  Here goes:

  http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Cooking-Gene-Project-The-Southern-Discomfort-Tour

Don’t assume that someone else will come through–Nancie didn’t.  Lots of people want a part of this project but its going to take 5 here, 10 there, 18, 36, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 here and there to make this happen.  We are counting on you and we need you.  We want to help others through our work and we can’t do that unless we’re funded.  So supporters keep spreading the word and let’s keep the momentum up 🙂 

Peace!