94 FEBRUARY 2021
Monica Williams’ Sea-
food Mac and Cheese
(recipe p. 103) is loaded
with lobster and crab.
OPPOSITE: Williams,
auntie to chef Kia
Damon, at her home
in South CarolinaREALIZED AT A VERY YOUNG AGE that my Auntie Monica was the
coolest person ever. She’s the baby out of five siblings, coming in
right after my momma. She is a Gemini, just like my momma. I
have always been in love with and in awe of the women in my
family. They’re headstrong, hilarious, and fierce, and Auntie
Monica is no exception.
Auntie Monica marches to the beat of her own drum. She
was one of the reasons I could embrace being different, too.
I have never known her to shrink herself or compromise her
beliefs. That may have gotten her into some tough spots, but it
has made her the unapologetic woman she is today. She wasstationed in South Carolina working as a drill instructor training recruits
for the United States Marine Corps when I was growing up, and I had a
hard time imagining my barely 5-foot auntie marching and shouting at
these folks who often towered over her.
I don’t have any older sisters, but growing up, Auntie Monica filled that
role. She spoiled me, took me shopping, and bought me things my mom
would never let me get. She is also one of my biggest cheerleaders. Regard-
less of my goals and aspirations, she is never lacking in support. Honestly, in
her eyes I can do no wrong. With every tattoo, every move to a new city, and
a brief stint with the United States Air Force, she was there with unwavering
love and encouragement. I’m always starstruck by her, even now.
Like me, she picked up her cooking skills later in life. It was after high
school that Auntie Monica moved to Parris Island for the Marine Corps.
It wasn’t until she had her first duty station that she started calling home
to my grandma for recipes like her famous pork chops. (It’s a recipe that I
often call my mom about, too—Grandma Jean-
nie was the best cook.) Auntie Monica wasn’t
a great cook by any stretch, but in time, she
went from oversalting beans to completing
her own holiday dinner spread. It took a lot
of trial and error and a whole lot of patience
with herself—and from those who had to eat
her early cooking. Her husband at the time was
an excellent cook who had a mastery of Creole
and Cajun cuisine. Working with food that is
so bold and up-front in flavor taught her how
to lean in and trust her taste buds.
Her seafood mac and cheese, loaded with
lobster, shrimp, and crab, is a shiny, cheesy,
and downright delicious culmination of her
years of hard work in the kitchen. It reminds
people that not everyone can be a great cook,
but a great cook could be anyone. (OK, that’s
definitely a rip-off of a quote from my favorite
movie, Ratatouille, but you get the point.)
I tried to ask her what she thinks makes her
a great auntie, and she said she didn’t know.
Instead, she flipped the question back on me,
like a true Gemini. I think it’s because she’s
the bridge to helping me understand the com-
plexities of my own mother, her big sister, and
because she lets me do and say anything. But
most of all, it’s because she is always there.The
Big Sister
I
BY KIA DAMONPHOTOGRAPHY: STACY HOWELL