There’s no meat in my Gumbo! Thoughts and tips on soulful vegetarian cooking from a South Louisiana girl.

Cooking is so important to me; it's like my life's blood. When I was pregnant with my second child I cried because she was overdue. Being pregnant interfered with my taste buds and things I usually loved I totally despised when I was pregnant. I go crazy if I can't cook. If I get a recipe idea in my head I have to try it eventually. Everyone says, when are you going to write that cook book. But for me it's not about just putting down a list of ingredients and instructions, it's about what each individual cook brings to his or her concoction.

I grew up in the south. South Louisiana to be exact. Grew up on crawfish boils and awesome barbeques. Jambalaya sales and pecan candy. My Grandmother smothered everything and my Dad could create anything from what he found in the refrigerator. My earliest memories of loving food were when I was little and would try things out with my Dad. I remember telling myself that if I didn't have to go to college I would be a chef. Well when I was little all the female cooks I knew worked at the school cafeteria. There was no Food T.V. and the one chef who did introduce me to different methods of cooking on the tube was Justin Wilson. He was a Cajun chef who cooked from the heart and used the palm of his hand to measure his salt and spices. I knew he had note cards because of the TV. but I knew he probably could cook that food with his eyes closed, no exact measurements needed. My style of cooking is a down home "creolesque" marriage of vegetarian meets great flavors. I once had one of my son's friends at our house for dinner asking for seconds, on my greens. We had a vegetarian dinner and he ate the whole thing. I am talking about a serious cold cut sandwich, candy eating, child. He wanted seconds on greens! My son the other day wanted seconds, just on the broccoli please. Hmm so what am I doing right? I love my food, and I love to cook. I add flavor to my veggies and don't over cook them. It does help that I went to an awesome vegan cooking retreat in Boulder Colorado and learned different techniques that help bring bold new flavors to vegetarian cooking. So I hope you enjoy my blog and the food and features to come.