"My interest is in people. In love. In care. And I said, my children were my priority. I said if I can take care of them, then I'd be able to take care of others out there in the world. I said, I'm never too tired, especially if someone says they're hungry."

I got to talk to the inimitable Emily Meggett for this week’s episode of Food with Mark Bittman — Miss Emily, as she’s known to some — along with Kayla Stewart, whom many of you are familiar with, who is wonderful and writes for us regularly. (Kayla is the co-writer on Miss Emily’s new book, Gullah Geechee Home Cooking.)

LISTEN HERE

Miss Emily is 89 years old. She is the matriarch of the Gullah community on Edisto Island in South Carolina — 42 miles south of Charleston and home to just 2000 people — and grew up in a house with her grandmother, uncle and aunt, sister, and seven cousins. I really loved reading about her upbringing and how she learned to cook, but I loved talking with her even more.

"When I really learned how to cook,” she told me, “the lady that taught me said that if I didn't do it right, she'd throw it out and I'd have to do it over. She said you do it until you get it right, and I got it right.”

I’ll say.

Please listen, subscribe, and review. And we’d love to hear your food-related questions, as we’d like to start doing live Q&A: Email us: food@markbittman.com. The recipe featured in this week’s episode is below.

Thank you, as always. — Mark

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Shrimp and Macaroni Salad

Serves 8 to 10

One day, I wanted to make a seafood dish but realized I didn’t have enough shrimp. Instead of letting the shrimp go to waste, I cooked a few macaroni noodles, put the two together, and created a salad that my children loved. This dish comes together quickly, and you can serve it warm or cold with a green salad and hot biscuits. — Gullah Geechee Home Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (910 g) shrimp, preferably small

• 1 (16-ounce/455 g) box macaroni noodles, cooked according to package instructions

• 6 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped

• 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

• 1 cup (100 g) diced celery

• 1 cup (240 ml) Hellmann’s mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons mustard

• 2 teaspoons celery salt

Instructions

Peel, wash, and devein the shrimp. Remove the tails.

In a 4-quart (3.8 L) saucepan, bring 3 cups (720 ml) tepid water to a boil and add the shrimp; cook until pink and opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, shrimp, eggs, relish, and celery. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and celery salt and mix again. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator and serve cold.

— Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking

Shrimp And Macaroni Salad

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