Sundays after church and every holiday, our home was filled with guests, who made it a point of stopping by, just to have a plate of mama's good food (and some lessons on life, as well.) As each guest would leave, mama would make sure they had a “carry-out” to enjoy in the comfort of their home. We didn't understand then why she'd want folks to take her food home. As we grew to adults, we came to realize that the true joy of cooking came from having others enjoy your food. Thus, in our family the term soul food means food cooked with love, from our soul to yours.