Many years ago I began considering writing a cookbook for my children to share stories and recipes that were part of our shared family lineage. As I began to examine those recipes I began to ask many questions. 

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​Where did the foods that are part of Southern cuisine originate? Why were my mother’s recipes so similar or even the same as some recipes I was seeing pop up in recipe books? Why is Southern food often synonymous with “soul food”?  How much did the slave trade contribute to our food identity? What other global foods are part of the Southern food culture?  How do I tell this story and should I even try?

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As someone who does experiment with foods from other cultures, loves to eat at restaurants whose cultural identity does not match my own, and is a student of culture, geography, and history - not to mention food, I decided I can tell these stories. Exploring foods of the American South (any food really) and its origin is not a new concept. I hardly think any of this work is groundbreaking or earth shattering. However, I am another voice in the world that seeks to embrace my own culture and show our shared connections to continue to bridge the gap that threatens to consume us as a people.