Thursday evening as the Nance siblings packed up their utensils and pantry staples following a cooking demonstration for more than 75 people at Grace Episcopal Church, I caught Paulette Robinson just before she left All Saints Hall and asked her to comment on her family’s cuisine.
“What is soul food?” I asked. “What makes soul food different from country food or Southern dishes?”
For the fourth or fifth or sixth time that evening, Robinson started to tear up. It had been a heartfelt night for her family to see a diverse crowd of Hopkinsville people captivated by her family’s traditions. So many people responded to plans for “The Supper Club: Soul Food,” the organizers had to make a last-minute switch and moved the event from the Pennyroyal Area Museum to Grace Episcopal Church where they could accommodate more people.
Robinson couldn’t help but recall a time when the two sides of Hopkinsville wouldn’t have gathered like they did Thursday evening. She and four of her siblings — children of the late Charles “Bootjack” and Sarah Nance — entertained and educated the audience about their favorite dishes.