Last month, I hosted a cookbook focus group dinner with a dynamic, thoughtful, and powerful group of women I’m lucky to call friends. We call ourselves the Ladies of Las Vegas—LVL. Community leaders. Advocates. Culture carriers. Women who don’t just show up… we shift rooms.
The goal for my focus group dinner was simple: Gather around the table, taste recipes, and talk about the cookbook. But something else happened that night. Something bigger than feedback. Something that felt like movement.
There’s something I’ve always believed:
When women gather at the table with intention, something always shifts.
We talked about food, yes. But we also talked about:
heritage
memory
identity
the stories behind what we cook—and why
And somewhere between bites and conversation, the energy in the room changed. This wasn’t just a focus group anymore. It became an open invitation.
Before the night even ended, the question quietly entered the room:
“What would it look like if we shared our cultures with each other… like this?”
Not performative. Not surface-level. But real, lived experiences around a table. The answer came quickly. Lori would host next!
The very next month, Lori opened her home to us. And just like that! I found myself experiencing my first Passover Seder, a ceremonial dinner centered on retelling the Passover story through food, ritual, and reflection. Not in a textbook. Not online. But at a table. In a home filled with warmth, intention, and meaning.
Each of us was assigned a flourless dish in honor of tradition. And me? I brought a gluten-free sweet potato pie, and if I do say so myself… it was that good! Yes, Beautiful Souls, a new recipe is coming soon! Thank you, Lori. 💛
You’ll notice certain symbolic foods on the table, like matzo, an unleavened bread that represents both humility and the urgency of leaving oppression behind, and a Seder plate filled with items that each tell a part of the story.
Still, this wasn’t just dinner. It was storytelling in motion.
We each took turns reading from the Haggadah, the traditional text that guides the Passover story, at the Seder. It guided us through the meaning behind every element on the table.
Wine was poured throughout the evening in symbolic servings, each glass marking a different promise of freedom and remembrance.
At one point, we passed around fresh herbs, part of the Seder plate, dipped in salt water to represent both spring renewal and the tears shed through hardship.
But what made this night unforgettable was Lori.
Knowing her audience, women deeply rooted in advocacy, justice, and community, she chose a Haggadah themed:
“Next Year in a Just World.”
And just like that… An ancient story of liberation became a present-day conversation about justice, oppression, and hope.
This is what food does.
It carries history.
It holds memory.
It creates space for understanding across cultures.
And when shared intentionally, it becomes a form of preservation, not just of recipes, but of people. What we experienced that night wasn’t just Passover. It was cultural exchange in its most human form.
That night after dinner, the messages started rolling in:
“Lori thank you and Kevin for an incredible experience! I waited all my life to enjoy such a curated Passover dinner among friends. Thank you for sharing your heritage with us! ♥️🫶🏾✨”
“Thank you for sharing your culture with us tonight. It was very nice to see and hear about other religions. The storytelling was very informative…”
“Thank you Lori for sharing Seder with us. Everything was just lovely.”
“I love the Haggadah you got, and making parallels between the ancient story of Passover to oppression and discrimination in current times!”
“Teaching the meanings and explaining each part was fun… sharing the time and meal… priceless ❤️”
This moment affirmed something I’ve felt deeply while writing this book: This cookbook isn’t just about soul food. It’s about the table itself.
Who’s at it, what’s shared, and what happens when we make room for each other’s stories. Because the truth is, this is the table you’re about to join via my cookbook! A table shaped by grandmothers, aunties, and communities who carried traditions forward with care. Now, expanded!
💬 Shaunda says:
”Recipes are how we enter the conversation.
But culture is what makes us stay at the table.”
—Shaunda Necole
Start your own table! And it doesn’t have to be perfect or formal. Just intentional.
Invite someone to share:
a dish from their culture
a story behind it
a tradition you’ve never experienced
You might think you’re planning a dinner. But you could be starting something much bigger!
The Soul Food Pot Cookbook is coming in 2027!
And if this story is any indication…
You’re not just getting recipes. You’re stepping into a legacy!
👉🏾 Join the waitlist to claim your seat at the table.
P.S. That gluten-free sweet potato pie?
Let’s just say, even tradition made room for it. 😉
Thanks for reading Shaunda Necole | The Soul Food Stack! This post is public so feel free to share it.
This story is part of the series At the Table with Shaunda Necole
Where recipes begin… and stories are passed down, shared, and reimagined.
Because when we understand the meaning behind what’s on the table, we don’t just eat differently… we connect differently.
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