Page 58 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2019

What’s Cookin’

with Marion Diaz

Little Walter defined the sound of Chicago blues harp,
establishing a standard for modern blues harmonica players
and fundamentally altering listeners’ expectations of the
harmonica. He earned 14 top-ten hits between 1952–1958,
and was one of the best blues artists produced by the post-
war Chicago blues movement. Today, Little Walter’s legacy
lives on through his daughter, Marion Diaz, who established
the Little Walter Foundation. The Foundation aims to inspire
and engage the children of Chicago and surrounding regions
in programs for the creative arts. Marion also carries on the
family tradition with this delicious butter pound cake, named
after one of her father’s songs, “Hate to See You Go.”
Marion shared this anecdote with the Blues Festival Guide:
“This cake recipe has been in the family for over 70 years,
originally coming from my great-great-grandmother. This cake
is good for all occasions, so we used to have it for dessert
many Sundays after church. I can recall one time, my dad,
Little Walter, came into the kitchen after my grandmother had
just baked the cake. She turned around to find him trying to
cut the cake for a bite before she’d even put on the icing, so
she grabbed the dish towel and chased him out! You don’t
mess around with Grandma’s kitchen!”
Marion Diaz and her “Hate to See You Go” butter pound cake − both as sweet as can be. For more information on the Little Walter Foundation, visit:
Photo by Jasmine Reacco littlewalterfoundation.org.

Those who are lucky enough to know Marion, “Hate to See You Go”
also know she has a gift when it comes to baking.
Butter Pound Cake
“These cakes are nothing short of amazing! The texture is
so moist and the flavor is unbelievable. I ordered two cakes
for the holidays and my family devoured them in less than a 3 sticks salted butter (softened) 8 ounces cream cheese
day!” – Cheri Younger 3 cups sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract
6 eggs 2 tsp almond extract
“Her pound cakes are my favorites, they give you that down- 3 cups cake flour or 3 cups 1 cup milk
home country cooking feeling that warms your heart.” regular flour with 1 tsp
– Monique Diaz baking powder

“What Marion Cake means to Sammiejay: First, it has a lot of Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and grease (I use Baker’s Joy
love, she puts her own little twist into baking a cake. Second, Spray) and lightly flour a 10-inch tube pan. Combine your
when you take that first bite, you immediately want another. butter, sugar and cream cheese until it’s creamy, then add
Third, Marion Cake is just as sweet as Marion – filled with the vanilla and almond extracts and beat well. Alternately
love, joy and happiness. Once you have some Marion Cake, add 1 egg and 1 cup flour at a time, beating well after
you won’t eat anyone else’s. Her cake got me saying, ‘My each addition. Add milk and beat well. Pour into prepared
baby don’t stand no cheating, she don’t stand none of that tube pan. Bake approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour
midnight creeping’ – that’s my Marion Cake to me!” 30 minutes. Enjoy plain or with any icing you like!
– WDCB’s SammieRogers

56 Blues Festival Guide 2019