Jones honed cooking skills from mother
Marketta Jones’ journey in the food service industry began at the age of 16 when she started her first job at McDonald’s. She then spent 15 years at Sonic, eventually taking on the role of manager for three of those years.
After that, she became general manager at Little Caesars, a position she held for nine years. Currently, she’s been working as an agency nurse for 19 years, with most of her shifts at Neshoba General and Mississippi Care Center of Dekalb.
"I've always loved cooking," she said.
Her culinary skills were honed through watching her mother, Willie, cook growing up. Additionally, she learned from a Home Economics class taught by Mrs. Henderson at Philadelphia High School in the 1980s.
"That's where I first started to learn about cooking, then I went to my momma,” she said. “She had recipes, and I always watched her cook, so I started doing what she was doing."
A house fire took away most of their cherished recipes, so she turned to YouTube for cooking lessons and to experiment with new dishes.
Jones finds joy in baking cakes, including pound cakes, layered cakes, and pies. She’s even ventured into the art of cake decoration, a skill she’s teaching herself.
“For me, cooking is all about seeing people’s reactions. The best way for me to express that I care for you is through my cooking,” she said.
On special occasions like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Fourth of July, she takes the helm in the kitchen when the family gathers at her mother’s home.
She crafts a delightful spread, including ham, turkey, chicken, dressing, and macaroni and cheese. Her husband also contributes with his specialty, Rotel dip.
Jones and her husband, Lance married on New Year's Eve 2021. They make a great team, with her handling the special cooking and him ensuring everything runs smoothly.
She has currently taken time off from her role at Little Caesars to care for her mom who has become handicapped and bedridden with age.
"She pushes me to do what I haven’t done before. It makes me a better baker and a better person. She’s my ride-or-die chick," Jones said.
“Momma loves whatever I cook. I’ll prepare greens, chicken, peas, whatever she wants to eat, but she doesn't like sausage,” she said with a laugh.
Jones’s passion for cooking and her love for her family shines through in every dish she prepares.
She is a loving mother of three children, Ocie, Sevaugn, and Jared Edwards. She also has six grandchildren Phillip “PJ”, Jaden, Christian, and Andreious Peeples, Kameron Patrick, and Brenden Tallie, and another grandchild due in December.
SOUR CREAM
POUNDCAKE
3 cups White Lilly all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
3 cups sugar
3 sticks of butter
6 large eggs
1-8 oz. cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Combine flour and baking soda and set aside.
Cream butter for about 5 minutes and then add sugar.
Blend until well incorporated.
Add eggs one at a time until incorporated.
Add vanilla extract and blend.
Add flour and sour cream.
As you add both, alternate starting with a cup of flour then a third of sour cream until all is combined.
Spray bunt cake pan with a flour nonstick spray
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Bake 1 hour and 15 to 25 minutes.
Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in cake and it comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Top with Vanilla Glaze.
Vanilla Glaze
1 cup sugar (confectioners)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbs. of milk or heavy cream
Combine sugar, vanilla, and milk.
Stir until well blended.
It will look dry at first, don’t add anything just keep stirring until creamy.
This usually takes about 5 minutes.
HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1-8oz. can crushed pineapple (undrained)
1 ½ cup oil
3 eggs slightly whipped
1 ½ cup chopped pecans (roasted)
3 to 4 mashed bananas
Set oven to 350 degrees.
Put pecans on cookie sheet in oven for 10 minutes.
Let cool before using.
Add flour, salt, and cinnamon.
Set aside in a mixing bowl
Add together all ingredients (except for pecans) until blended.
Then fold pecans in batter.
Set oven to 325 degrees.
Spray bunt cake pan with flour nonstick spray.
Pour batter in pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 to 25 minutes.
Check for doneness after an hour and 15 minutes.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.
Frost with cream cheese icing.
Garnish with pecans.
Cream Cheese Icing
4 oz. cream cheese
1 ½ tsp. milk
1 lb. powder sugar
1 tbs. vanilla extract
Cream room temperature cream cheese for 2 minutes.
Add powdered sugar with 1 ½ tsp. milk.
If not desired consistency, add another ½ tsp. milk until smooth.
Add vanilla blend until smooth.