Princess Pamela's Soul Food Cookbook; Peach Cobbler

Princess Pamela's Peach Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream

One of our staple desserts in the summer is Princess Pamela's Peach Cobbler. Princess Pamela was southern born and raised. She migrated to New York and eventually started a small restaurant on E. 1st. Street. You were not allowed through the door without a harsh interview to see if you were worthy of her food and her company.  Famous people passed through her door such as Princess Radziwell, the Rothschilds, Gloria Steinman, Tom Wolfe and many many more. She cooked, sang and entertained and her words of wisdom are priceless which are quoted throughout the cookbook. When published the book sold for  .95 cents. Today the book is hard to locate but a pristine copy will sell for over $100.00.

Our mother always used this book's recipe for the best and easiest peach cobbler I have ever tasted and that is why I purchased this book, just for the peach cobbler...Chefs can add this and that to tweak recipes but for good, old fashioned perfection you should stick with pure basics and this is the basic southern cooking I was brought up on and loved. The book disappeared when our mother passed on. Had my sister and I known its value (sentimental not monetary...although I am surprised how much this little paperback cost!) we would not have let this copy slip through our fingers. Apparently she also used many recipes from the "Princess" and we have really enjoyed just reading through this book. We no longer use Crisco or fat back and never fry foods but just reading this book brought back Sunday after church dinner memories and family mealtime. I will use some of these recipes again and introduce my daughters and their families to my own memory meals and I won't skip all the butter or cream or the ham bone. We moved to California when I was five and my mom picked up cooking all the wonderfully unique and ethnic dishes from the West Coast and although these are also memorable meals and fun times I suppose roots are roots and southern style cooking still brings a smile to my dining.