During an interview on Food & Wine’s Tinfoil Swans podcast that was released on Tuesday, award-winning actress Regina King touched on a variety of topics, including how she has preserved her grandmother’s 40-year-old handwritten pound cake recipe and her orange wine brand, MianU.
King, 54, revealed that she ultimately decided to frame her grandmother’s handwritten pound cake recipe because the paper was withering.
“I have a recipe of my grandmother’s that I have framed — her pound cake recipe. There is sugar on it. It’s her writing,” The Boondocks star said. “Her, sugar, butter, might be a little piece of dried Crisco or something. But the paper is starting to come apart. That’s what made me frame it. That recipe that she had written down has got to be probably 40 years old.”
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Elsewhere in the interview, King also touched on why she decided to venture into the wine business despite hearing people say that it was a money-losing venture. She also said her deceased son Ian, who died by suicide in January 2022, influenced her.
“I’d never ever thought about being in this space. I’m one of those people that have heard people say one way, if you want to lose all your money, go into the wine business. But this is where I’m supposed to be. This is a labor of love. It is something that gives me an opportunity to continue creating new memories with Ian,” the Oscar-winner said.
“It started just kind of like an epiphany. I’m still trying to figure out this new relationship with Ian, and knowing that he’s always a part of me. I’m always a part of him. You hear people talking about, ‘Oh, my child is doing this and doing that.’ And I’m so proud of Ian, but all of my stories are stories from the past. Just trying to embrace the idea of that does not mean that I can’t find a way for us to make new memories together.”
READ ALSO: Regina King touches on her son’s legacy and how his suicide challenged her faith
King added: “I think in occupying that space, that’s when the epiphany came to me. Thinking about the first time I tried orange wine — Ian had introduced me to orange wine. Of course the epiphany would be, we’re going to make an orange wine. It was literally that simple.”
MianU includes King’s deceased son’s name. The 54-year-old in the interview touched on why she decided to feature his name in the wine.
“I was told that in life, the only way a person fully leaves this place is if they’re forgotten. So I’m always trying to find ways to make sure Ian’s name is said. This wine is in celebration of him. It’s honoring him,” she explained.
“I’ve been hearing people comment on not recognizing that Ian’s name is in the wine, MianU. It takes them a second, and after saying it a couple times, they look at the bottle and go, ‘Oh my gosh.’ And I feel like Ian’s smiling each time that happens. I’m still kind of like, it’s surreal, you know? It’s happening.”
