Madi's Kitchen: Food inspired by love

Where do you put all the "leftover" love when you lose someone much too soon?

That is the challenge Yameka Robinson and her family faced in August 2019 after a senseless act of gun violence left 20-year-old Ryan Robinson injured and ended the life of 15-year-old Madison "Madi" Robinson.

Over the past couple years, the already close-knit family has pulled even closer through their grief and anguish. While awaiting justice in the still active case, Yameka has found a place to channel that extra love — food.

Yameka shared fond childhood memories of bonding with her mother "Jackie" while learning how to cook for special family gatherings. She credited her Uncle Henry with imparting his knowledge and use of a cast iron skillet. She lovingly reminisced about a Saturday "family day" ritual. Yameka explained that for approximately six years, her children and nephew would spend the week selecting two recipes each to create and share during their family meal the following Saturday. Being a history buff, Madison would carefully research ingredients and other details surrounding her choices. They connected as a family while exploring new cuisines and flavors. Nothing was off limits.

After the tragedy, Yameka prepared seafood platters for family and friends. Interest quickly grew along with Yameka's culinary repertoire, and she eventually took the necessary steps to make "Madi's Kitchen" an official business.

Hennessy Chicken Mac and Cheese.Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo

I located Madi's Kitchen on Facebook and scrolled through previous menu items which included creole shrimp deviled eggs, a cajun seafood boil, jerk chicken and shrimp pasta, birria ramen, red wine stew, gorgonzola steak pasta and more. The menu changes weekly and I happened upon the page when a customer favorite, Hennessy Chicken Mac and Cheese, was being offered. I sent a message through Facebook and placed my order along with a pick-up time.

When I picked up my order the following day, the container was warm to the touch and the tantalizing aroma emanating from the dish filled my car and tempted me to put the pedal to the metal so I could arrive at my destination and dig in. I resisted temptation, arrived safely and finally opened the bag.

The round tin was loaded with mac and cheese topped with a generous portion of chicken. The smell was divine. The macaroni and cheese was tasty but the chicken was definitely a scene-stealer. I had never heard of Hennessy chicken so I did a bit of online sleuthing where I discovered recipe after recipe for Hennessy "Henny" wings, bbq wings, chicken breasts, and so on. The "Hennessy" in the name refers to the popular brand of cognac used in the recipe.

Madi's Kitchen.Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo

There was nothing subtle about the flavor of the chicken. If I had to choose an emoji to describe it I would quickly choose the "fire" symbol five times just to be dramatic. If I were young, cool and hip I might even refer to it as "bussin." I think I am pretty cool, but I concede I am neither young nor hip, so I will describe the Hennessy chicken simply — delicious. I detected a BBQ sauce sweetness, the slight tangy spiciness of a buffalo sauce and something else. I later tried to get confirmation from Yameka, who disclosed it is a ketchup-based sauce but remained tight lipped about the rest of the ingredients. That is A-OK with me. I would rather leave the cooking up to Madi's Kitchen and focus on eating.

When asked about her menu options, Yameka stated she only offers items if they are "something I would want to eat." If she is torn between potential options, she might even request input from her social media friends and followers. The main ingredient in all of her dishes? Love. Her statement — "If your heart isn't in it people can taste it" — reminded me of one of my favorite books, "Like Water for Chocolate" by Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel, which is sprinkled with love, grief, recipes and the idea that emotions of the cook may impact the flavor of food.

Yameka's next goal is to expand Madi's Kitchen to a food truck where she can serve more people and honor Madi by keeping her name alive. She is confident that with the continued love and support of her family, friends, and community each order will place her a little closer to achieving her vision.

You can place your order or find out more by visiting her Facebook page, emailing madiskitchen0824@gmail.com, or calling (573) 979-7091.