Country singer Jessie James Decker has released a new cookbook, “The Secret Sauce: A Family Cookbook Seasoned with Love,” co-written with her mother, Karen Parker, and her sister, Sydney Rae Bass.
The book pulls together recipes shaped by the family’s Southern, Sicilian and Cajun heritage, including weeknight dinners, game-day food, holiday dishes and desserts passed down across generations.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Decker said the project is rooted as much in family and faith as it is in food. She credited her mother with instilling a strong Catholic faith in the family.
“Faith has always been a big part of my life and our lives,” Decker said, adding that her mother taught the family to lean on prayer during both hard times and happy ones.
“You just have to trust in Him, because His plan is so much greater than you could ever imagine,” Decker said.
That same emphasis on togetherness shows up at home with her husband, former NFL wide receiver Eric Decker, and their four children. The family makes a point of eating dinner together without electronics so everyone can talk.
“It’s not even that hard to get rid of the electronics when it’s time for dinner because we want to talk to each other,” Decker said. “We just get so excited to have that time with each other, to be present, to ask about each other’s day.”
Decker said she often goes around the table asking each child a question, sometimes a silly one, to keep the conversation going. “Those memories and moments with my family around the dinner table are just my favorite,” she said.
Cooking has become its own way of connecting with her kids. Decker described making food as one of her strongest “love languages.”
“I just get such pride, such joy from making food to nourish their bodies and fill their tummies,” Decker said.
Each child has their own favorite from her kitchen. Daughter Vivi and youngest child Denver both love her seafood gumbo, while sons Eric and Forrest prefer her pasta dishes. Eric Decker’s favorite is her chicken pot pie, and the family also regularly turns to steak, salads and balsamic green beans.
Eric Decker’s football career left its own mark on their food traditions. On game days, Decker said she typically makes chili, barbecue meatballs and a dip, sometimes adding wings to the lineup. “Every game day we definitely get after it,” she said.
For Decker, the cookbook’s title reflects something bigger than any single recipe.
“The secret sauce is just the love and joy that you put into cooking, and it’s not just about the food,” she said. “Once you put that heart and soul and you serve it up, everyone feels it.”
