There are certain things in life that are that perfect, homegrown type of familiar. For example, a hug from your mom after a long trip, the sun on your face when you leave your house in the morning, watching Oprah’s Favorite Things for the millionth time, or taking the first bite of your favorite meal. For me, it’s my mom’s vegetarian lasagna and cheesecake with berries. For the presidential candidate I wish I could vote for, it’s cornbread, black-eyed field peas, and rosé.
Pics or It Didn’t Happen
The Mississipi native and Weight Watchers ambassador posted this video of her spread to Instagram on her 64th birthday, letting us know exactly what her favorite meal is, and exactly what I would be eating if my dream of going to dinner with Oprah came true.
The stars of this show, cornbread and black-eyed peas, are quintessential Southern foods, showing that even for Oprah, the best food is the food that reminds us of our childhoods. Although, if you’ve seen the culinary classic “Ratatouille,” you probably already knew that.
Oprah Can Have Her Cake and Eat It Too
Ever since joining Weight Watchers as a shareholder and customer in 2015, Oprah has lost over 42 pounds on the program and gained almost $300 million from her shares. Not bad, Oprah, not bad. With the Weight Watchers Freestyle Program, she can eat whatever she wants—two pieces of cornbread included—and still watch her weight through portion control.
How To Make It Yourself, Like Oprah’s Personal Chef
While it would be fantastic to have your own chef or a wine glass gifted by John Travolta, having neither doesn’t mean delicious cornbread and black-eyed peas with rosé is out of reach for us peasants. Thanks to Oprah’s former personal chef, Art Smith, who shared his buttermilk cornbread recipe on the Oprah.com website, we too can bring Oprah-level happiness right into our own homes. Add in some Southern-style black-eyed peas and a bottle of Oprah’s favorite vino and we’re only about $2.8 billion from being the queen herself.
Oprah’s favorite meal might not be for everyone, but there are some important lessons to be learned from it: Treat yourself on your birthday, the best food reminds you of home, and healthy eating doesn’t have to mean salads and celery every day.