Tina and James share meals and memories. Here are some of their favorite recipes.
Street Roots former paper vendors and now staff members Tina Drake and James Duby satisfy their self-expression, purpose and connection in the same way. Their fulfillment lies in their love of cooking.
“It’s called the culinary arts for a reason. It’s as much of an art as painting or drawing. A person can tell their story of who they are or where they come from just by the food they prepare,” Tina said.
James reminisces back to the first time he wore the hat of a head chef. He was 12. It was the eve of Thanksgiving, but a proper celebration was off the calendar for the Duby family. The holiday was pushed to a later date under the discretion of his mother. She had to work the third shift at the nursing home.
“Thanksgiving is on Thanksgiving,” was a young James’ rebuttal. So he took matters into his own hands and embarked on a journey through the night to create a full Thanksgiving spread, guided by his mother’s recipes.
All the food was in the oven and ready for feast upon his mother’s arrival the next day. He even made cranberry sauce with the berries in it.
James felt the warmth of beaming faces enjoying food he prepared the first time that day. It was a spark that set fire to his love of cooking.
“Food is meant to be shared. It is not meant to be by yourself.” — Tina
As for Tina, her childhood dreams were filled with hopes of one day being immersed in fossil records, uncovering the mysteries of Earth. Although she still holds those fascinations, her professional endeavors changed form as her connections to culinary arts cultivated a lifelong love of cooking.
“I was 5 or 6 and I ended up going into the kitchen. My mom was making our third-generation spaghetti family recipe,” Drake recalled, “I asked to watch, and she said, ‘nope, but you can help’. Because of my mother is why I went into the culinary world.”
For most of her life, Tina turned to cooking as more of a hobby but credits the practice for so much more today.
“It’s my zen space,” Tina said. “If I get angry or irritated, it’s one of the few places that calms me down.”
After high school, Tina’s aspirations to begin a career in the computer repair industry brought her to the Clearfield Job Corps Center in Clearfield, Utah. Upon receiving news that all those courses were full, she turned to the culinary arts program.
Tina recalls knowing much more about cooking than the average student on her first day, but she attentively absorbed her teacher, Chef Bill’s, techniques and teachings.
“It was the first day in his classroom. He had a bunch of textbooks on his desk and started to put one on each of our desks,” Drake said. “Then immediately picked them back up, dumped them in the trash and said, ‘This is not how you cook. Get in the kitchen.’”
Between those first memories of James’ and Tina’s training in the kitchen and today, their ability to maintain practicing the craft they love has not always come effortlessly.
James first lived outside at the age of 17.
“I was young and strong and could handle it,” James said.
For 7 1/2 years on and off when living outside, the food James ate was not created by himself, but by workers in soup kitchens. The whole time, he longed to get back in the kitchen.
Finally, in 2013, the reunion came.
“It was a little kitchen,” he remembered. “You could wash dishes with one hand and cook with the other. It was so small, but I still shed a few tears because I was that grateful to be back. Having that space to create was awesome. It’s hard to find the words to describe. I felt more human. I felt content.”
James advises readers to take their time and bring in family when cooking.
“Involve kids in the kitchen,” he said. “Teaching them how to cook and hold utensils are sweet bonding moments for a parent or grandparent and child. Don’t look over those simple pleasures of being together.”
He hosts loved ones who are less fortunate to spend weekends with him and his wife, Marla, to give them a break from living outside, take a shower or do their laundry.
The days wind down with James posing the question: What do you feel like for dinner? Frequently he knows he already wants to make mac and cheese soup or “cow in a cup,” but the verdict always lies in what his wife wants in the end.
Tina faced homelessness for eight years of her life, but a lack of traditional equipment did not deter her from her culinary craft.
“Just because you don’t have the equipment doesn’t mean you can’t make do,” Tina said.
During her last summer living outdoors, Tina’s group fed 10 to 15 people at a time on a regular basis. With three cooks at the campsite, the trio rotated the cooking responsibilities. Summer nights served up hearty campfire stews among friends and family.
“Food is meant to be shared. It is not meant to be by yourself,” Tina said.
In March, Tina moved into her 80-square-foot apartment. She looks forward to one day moving to a larger space to host others and share a meal she has created.
This holiday season, James and Tina want to share what they love with their community.
Both see the importance in making food to bring people together, no matter what your life situation is.
“Experimentation is everything when it comes to cooking,” Tina said. “You substitute and make do with anything, even when you get food boxes.”
When it comes to advice in the kitchen, Tina said exactly what she tells new Street Roots vendors after their orientation on their first day of selling the paper:
“Don’t give up. If you have questions, ask. The best way to learn is to get your hands dirty.”
Mac & Cheese Soup
Created by Pops and Janey Willoby
Ingredients:
3 boxes Velveeta Shells & Cheese
1 pkg broccoli, chopped
1 pkg diced ham
1 small pkg sour cream
3 cups milk
1 to 2 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp onion powder or diced onion (about one cup)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups shredded cheese
Pepper flakes or hot sauce to taste
Directions:
Boil pasta and broccoli per package instructions. Do not drain.
Add all other ingredients, simmer until all are well blended and cooked. Serve with toast or garlic bread.
Cow in a Cup
Recipe shared by James Duby
Ingredients:
5 lbs hamburger
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced mushroom
Salt and pepper to taste
1 -2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tbspn oregano, italian seasoning
Any sauce - spaghetti, BBQ, ect.
2-4 tubes canned biscuits
2-3 cups shredded cheese
Directions:
Brown hamburger, onion, mushroom and seasonings in large skillet. Stir well, drain and set aside to cool. Once cool, add sauce. Spray cupcake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Flatten biscuits — not too thin or meat will fall through. Place on biscuit into each section of pan. Place meat into each section, filling almost to the top. Cover with cheese and bak until golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before eating.
Dressed Up Ramen
Recipe shared by Tina Drake
Ingredients:
1-2 packages ramen noodles
3 cups water for boiling
1 can mixed vegetables
Seasoning of choice
1/2 pound hamburger
Directions:
Bring water to a boil.
Brown hamburger with spices of choice.
Add ramen to water to soften and use a strainer to drain off most of the water. Add sauce packets, vegetables and hamburger to soup. Serve in bowls.
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