Palavah Hut Stirs Beloved Food Memories by Rose Kennedy--
It was a moment that literally gave me pause, asking 30-something Palavah Hut co-owner Hawa Ware what it was like to go into exile from Liberia in 1990 at age 11. Little did the family know that the experience as refugees would last three years, and that their father would not join them for a long, long time after they joined a bus going to the Ivory Coast across the border. Her answers had to do with being a little fearful, definitely out of her comfort zone, but, mostly, unaware of the impact or future of the civil war that would rage for six more years.
What has this got to do with food? Ware relives the best of those childhood years with stews, rice, pastries, and juices at Palavah Hut, replicating dishes from her home country for us right here in Knoxville. They're going to be hosting a festival this Saturday with the same "Meet Liberia" fame. The food's nice, and has lots of options for vegetarians in particular. But mostly I'm just bowled over by the resilience and courage of Hawa and her family, and in awe of their ability to reach out to the Knoxville community, via the stove and steamer.
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