Charlotte Ascue-Jenkins, owner and head chef of Gullah Cuisine in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, remembers the cooking of her childhood, which she more than kindly related to our group one afternoon. At age nine under the guidance of her family, Charlotte began cooking on her own, and it was at this point in her life that she realized she wanted to run a restaurant. Fortunately, she received expert training in Gullah cooking from the very beginning.
Living on a farm, her family raised crops, hogs, and chickens. Vegetables such as okra and tomatoes, always fresh and abundant, made their way to the dining table. Her family canned extra food from the growing season for the long winter months. The hogs were smoked, and later used for hams and bacon. Eating chicken as a child became one of the most memorable aspects of her youthful cooking experiences. The slow-cooked, tender meat would remain the best tasting chicken she remembers, and the standard by which she now compares everything.
A group of Gullah cooks,
Charlotte's family
ate well, but other aspects of their lives were difficult. Farming brought
in very little money. In fact, most farming families made a little more than
$15.00 per week. As a result, Charlotte's family had to rely on their own
crops and animals. Times were hard during her childhood, and Charlotte's occupational
prospects were not hopeful. When she grew older she decided she would not
stay if she had to take a job she did not like with low wages. So, she left
home to find something better. 
She moved to New York
City, where she enjoyed the contact she had with many different cultures.
To celebrate this, she organized many dinner parties which in turn diversified
her cooking style. She also swapped recipes with her friends. After awhile
she moved back to South Carolina where she graduated from Johnson and Wales,
a prestigious culinary arts school in Charleston in 1988. During her time
there she learned to professionally make sauce, meat, and dessert. She also
learned cafeteria, menu and facility planning. This training as a chef coupled
with her family's Gullah traditions inspires the food of Gullah Cuisine
Some of Charlotte's favorite foods include collards and okra soup cooked in traditional Gullah fashion. She enjoys making fresh seafood and fish with the heads still on, steamed and smothered, or fried. She also named Hoppin' John, and chitterlings as some of her favorite dishes. While most people have an aversion to chitterlings because of the way they smell, she truly adores them and kills their odor with spices. All of her seasonings and breading are special, as she makes them herself with her own recipes. Charlotte is very aware of the necessity of preserving authentic Gullah cooking. This, she repeated to us several times, is the purpose of opening a restaurant with a Gullah theme.
Realizing the risk involved in owning her own restaurant, she enlisted the help of her husband and friends, and on May 11, 1997, she opened the restaurant. She loves being her own boss and owner, but running a restaurant has its fair share of problems. These include the fact that many of her servers are students and they leave after three or four months. Friday and Saturday are also extremely busy days, and because she is the only one cooking, the end of the week can be very hectic.
Despite these challenges, she runs a very clean, classy, and friendly restaurant. She also makes wonderful food from Gullah cooking techniques she learned from her family. She has skillfully retained foodways she learned as child while succeeding in the private business sector.
