I agree wholeheartedly with Bam. I consider soul food to be the comfort food that one grew up with no matter what that food may be. I also think that all cultures are very hospitable when it comes to food. I have felt love all over the place. It is all about welcoming, and sharing in the both the celebrations and everyday meals. Sometimes, it is less about the food itself and more about the love and hospitality one feels as taste is subjective. It is why I love food history and the similarities in cuisines.
In South Florida, I have had people share with me their homemade tamales and empanadas, beans and rice, and different ways to make plaintains and cactus. It is always fun to try new tastes however, whether I like everything I eat is another matter. Yet, the pride and love of one's culture and sharing and being a part of that is something I always cherish whether I like the food or not.
Obviously, I would never intentionally hurt someone's feelings and it seems like keltin got his nose out of joint over issues of my subjective taste. It has nothing to do with the warm, hospital Southern culture and everything to do with my subjective tastebuds. As I explaned to someone else here, I don't like borsht or gefilte fish, either. I am not found of dill. Further there is a huge debate in the Jewish community about how matzoh balls should be made. Do you like floaters or sinkers? I think it is silly because most likely one is going to prefer what one grew up with eating.
This is a different issue over how a classical dish is made or what it consists of. One can always change it but if you have read Escoffier there are certain classic techniques and classic dishes. If one changes a classic dish, it can still be fantastic but it won't be the classic dish anymore.