On June 25th, 2022, Ms. Mavis J. Young held a meet and greet at Bethel AME San Diego for her new cookbook, ‘Unmerited Flavors’.
By Darrel Wheeler, Contributing Writer
Cooking enthusiasts made their way to the Fellowship Hall at the historic Bethel AME Methodist Church on the last Saturday of June to meet and greet Author Ms. Mavis J. Young and to purchase her new cookbook, Unmerited Flavors.
What does “unmerited” mean?
Merriam Webster defines unmerited as “not adequately earned or deserved”.
As a Christian woman of faith, to Ms. Mavis, Unmerited means God’s unearned favor. It is something not worked for, not adequately earned, or deserved, which is known as GRACE.
Ephesians 4:4-9 says that favor is a gift given by Christ to His people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up.
“Food is universal. It is a common, tangible, physical, and often intimate bond that we as humans share freely with others. Food starts a conversation. It meets a need, feeds our body, mind, and souls. It is both nourishing and it can be simple or decadent. It lifts our spirits when we celebrate life, or it can comfort us when we’re sad. Food is all about people and it is one thing that has the power to unite us,” shared Ms. Young.
Ms. Mavis’ recipes are filled with “Unmerited Flavors,” taste and love.
In the vision of writing this book, Ms. Mavis began going through literally thousands of recipes that were created, collected, given, and shared.
“This was an overwhelming and humbling task,“ Ms. Young shared. “There were so many people who were willing to share the recipes they loved. I grew up in Falls County, Texas, on my grandparents’ farm, called Maxwell Hill. I come from a family of excellent cooks. The food at our Maxwell Hill home was cooked on a wood-burning stove. Recipes were tested and sampled until they achieved the “right taste.” Family members would often say “that don’t taste right…you need to add or subtract this or that ingredient for more flavor.” Needless to say, making people feel happy eating food that I cook remains my goal today. I know with the right attitude, my love of cooking, experience in the kitchen, good fresh foods and love of people, exceeds all expectations.”
