fact of the matter is in the old south back when the dishes, flavors and ingredients of southern cooking, which is to say american cooking as opposed to european, chances are that food was grown, gathered, produced and prepared by african slaves. chef b.j. dennis has made it a personal mission to celebrate and protect the culinary traditions his ancestors passed down to him. >> b.j.: so this is, um, some local blue crab, fresh in season. this is a play on some garlic crabs, but this is shrimp butter instead of garlic butter, and then you have that play of, you know, the french influence into the cuisine right here. >> anthony: the flavors and textures and food ways of west africa are all over southern cooking. and there are few better places to see how short the line between there and here than gullah culture. >> anthony: i'm really enjoying this, i got to tell you. >> sean: this is so delicious. >> ashley: oh my goodness. >> anthony: how african is