Carl Vincent was asked, “If you could have anybody prepare a meal for you, alive or dead, who would you choose and what would you want them to prepare?” Vincent named his mother, Lucy Vincent, and it didn’t matter what she made. It would be good.

“If it was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it would be good,” he said.

He has fond memories of family meals that included a lot of seafood and potluck dishes prepared for the church. That foundation led him and wife Carla to start cooking for schools.

“I think we’re the second longest existing Partner in Education behind Citgo,” Vincent said. “We did the first Christmas dinner at Frasch Elementary in 1991 and we’ve been doing Christmas dinners ever since except 2020 because of COVID. Then we added W.W. Lewis and maybe five years ago, Henning. It’s always a highlight for us.”

The Vincents have only duplicated the holiday meal twice in all these years, filet mignon and large pork chops with all the fixings. He said he can throw the meat on a grill large enough to cook 100 at a time.

This year he prepared chicken and sausage Monica for the City of Sulphur and Hixson-Sulphur Memorial Funeral Home senior Christmas event.

“I usually donate a door prize but last year, I asked Jody Barrilleaux if she needed me to make dinner. Roderick Stutes and his staff provided the sides and helped serve.

Vincent refused to share his recipe for the chicken and sausage Monica, declaring it “top secret” with a chuckle and hint about how easily all the flavors come together.

He concedes that Carla is the better all-around cook, and no one can make better lasagna.

“I’m a griller, a big pot cooker,” he said. “

So, why does he do it?

“The key to success in any organization is the food,” he said with a grin. No, not really. I think it’s the food but it’s not, it’s all about the southern hospitality, and for me that’s turned into serving others. Cooking and serving good food, it’s just a form of appreciation.”