A former reality television star, now country music artist, married to a former NFL wide receiver is being praised for a new cookbook she co-authored with two other women that puts an emphasis on good food and family meals. Jessie James Decker’s ‘Secret Sauce’ blends food, faith, and traditions in a fun, palatable way.
For context, the wife of former NFL wide receiver Eric Decker released the new cookbook “The Secret Sauce: A Family Cookbook Seasoned with Love,” a joint effort with her mother and sister. The project was a reflection on the family’s combined Sicilian and Cajun roots, comprising a collection of both recipes and traditions from those roots.
Speaking about traditions in her household as both a child and now on the other side as a parent of an ever-growing family, Decker said one of the most important aspects of building a strong family is spending time together absent technology.
“It’s not even that hard to get rid of the electronics when it’s time for dinner because we want to talk to each other. You know, it’s not even something we have to really think about or try to do. We we just get so excited to have that time with each other, to be present, to ask about you know each other’s day,” Decker stated in an interview.
“I always ask them questions. I’ll go around and ask each kid a silly question or something, and give them the floor, and it always stirs up fun conversations. When I am not there, which is very rare now, I rarely leave home. Well, what are we going to eat for dinner? Where’s mom? What are we gonna do? Because I feel like that is a part of one of my major, strongest love languages is making food,” she went on.
“I just get such pride, such joy from making food to nourish their bodies and fill their tummies, and sit there watching them go, “Mommy, this is so good. It just truly is. There’s nothing better, in my opinion, than being a mom and being able to provide a really yummy warm meal for your family and your babies. And so, if you were to ask them now, they’d be like, “What? What?” If you were to say, “What’s one of your favorite things about mommy?” It’d be like, “Oh, mommy’s food.” It’s just that. I mean, there’s nothing better than that. But yeah, as they get older, I’m sure they’re going to have those memories of Mama in the kitchen,” she finished.
Decker, who takes considerable pride in her work in the kitchen, also rattled off each of her family member’s favorite dishes in the kitchen. Her eldest daughter, Vivi, is a big fan of the Cajun-inspired seafood gumbo, while both her two oldest sons Eric and Forrest oike eating her pasta meals. Denver, just two years old, enjoys imitating older sister Vivi and eating gumbo. Her husband’s favorite dinner is a chicken pot pie.
Watch Jessie James Decker discuss her role as the cook and chef in her family’s kitchen below: