Make wishtv.com your home page

Families touched by violence create ‘Angels in the Kitchen’ cookbook

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Family members of people killed in homicides are coming together in a very special way.

The families, with the help of the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office and their victims’ advocates, have put together a cookbook to honor their lost loved ones and keep their memories alive.

The cookbook, called “Angels in the Kitchen,” features 32 tributes to those killed, along with their favorite recipes.

“It’s a good memory and it’s a pleasant memory,” Claressa Patton, a prosecutor’s office advocate for the families, said.

The cookbook includes recipes for cheeseburgers, sloppy joes, and much more.

“[It’s] giving people that opportunity to share their experiences with their loved ones (and) share that with the world,” Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears said. “There’s a lot of victims that are looking for that opportunity and we’re grateful that this cookbook provides a platform for people to do that.”

Vernell Miller’s grandson, 13-year-old Jerrell Tucker, was killed in August 2012. As her tribute to her grandson, Miller included his favorite pizza recipe, along with his picture.

“He came up with it. It was simple. It was easy. It was consisting of a few ingredients and it was one of those ‘throw it together and go.’ Then we would watch a movie,” Miller said. “So, it’s something that he did often.”

Victims’ advocate Claressa Patton lost both her older brother, Clarence Williams, and her husband, Jerome Patton, in 2005 to gun violence.

“I said, ‘Oh no, no, no. Oh, my brother was shot, you know, a couple of months ago.’ They said, ‘No, your husband. He’s been shot. Some guys were trying to rob him.’ He did home improvements. People would steal tools off of his truck and all those types of things,” Williams said.

Clarence Williams, who owned a restaurant in Haughville called C-Daddy’s, was killed at his restaurant in October 2005. The cookbook shares his favorite recipe for salmon and broccoli.

“He was wonderful, sweet, and great, and so, he is number one and will always be number one, in my life,” Patton said.

Patton also shared her husband’s favorite punch bowl cake recipe.

“He thought everybody loved it. We went along with just kind of went along with it. Just keep making that punch bowl cake. Very simple dish. It was good. It was fun and so I included that recipe,” Patton said.

The prosecutor’s office says the public will be able to request a copy of “Angels in the Kitchen,” but it has not said when copies will be available. The cookbook will also be given to the families who contributed recipes.