WELCOME TO EXISTENTIAL EATER

I'm Carol, a writer/artist living in Olive Branch, MS. I grew up in Memphis, TN, land of down-home cooking and barbeque. I'm not a trained chef or culinary professional by any means but ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you...I love to eat! Some of the most memorable and enjoyable moments of my life have been at the dinner table.

My grandparents lived on a farm in the Mississippi Delta, where my family and I spent summers eating some of the most amazing food on the planet. Sun kissed vegetables straight from garden to table. Apple, pear and pecan trees. Juicy tomatoes, strawberries, blackberries and figs bursting with flavor. Fresh eggs. Creamy churned butter. A smokehouse filled with delectable, cured hams, bacon, and sausage. 

Mom and Mamaw were both excellent cooks in the classic Southern style. All kinds of pies, cakes and cobblers. Banana pudding. Hot biscuits every morning, with homemade jams and preserves. Crispy fried chicken and pork chops. Country ham with red-eye gravy. Black-eyed peas and cornbread. (no sugar!) Even braised rabbit, squirrel dumplings, liver and onions, brains and eggs, and deep-fried chitlins! I've always appreciated good food, and nothing was off-limits. I loved everything, and even enjoyed the things that kids typically refuse to eat. 

As a young adult, I watched Julia Child, The Galloping Gourmet, and The Frugal Gourmet; diligently writing down recipes with the intention of cooking them one day. But I never did...

I traveled extensively in the U.S., Europe and the Caribbean, eating fantastic food everywhere, dining in fine restaurants, home cooking cafes, hole in the wall barbeque joints, taco stands, pizza parlors, jerk chicken shacks, food trucks; you name it! Any place I heard of that was rumored to serve great food. But as much as I enjoyed eating, I rarely attempted to cook anything at home beyond the basics.

However, I was fascinated by the way food tells a unique story about every culture and intrigued by how our coming together to "break bread" is universal; yet the social rituals practiced, the methods of preparation, and the foods served are so diverse. We really can learn so much about people by what they eat.

Then a few years ago when my mom passed away, I experienced an existential crisis of sorts that impacted my relationship with food. Suddenly, it occurred to me that food is so much more than just sustenance; it is nostalgic; comforting; communal. It's love and life on a plate. My siblings and I grew up and moved away, but whenever we came home, the highlight of each visit was our joyous reunion around the dinner table. 

Around that time, the cable cooking channels were taking off and I was immediately hooked. Food porn! I watched for hours with glazed eyes. Soon I began cooking along with the chefs. My efforts were mostly successful, with the occasional whopping disaster. But I gleaned a lot from their expertise, and got bolder about experimenting with ingredients, techniques, and not always following recipes verbatim.

Now when I go to restaurants, or on travel adventures, I come home and try to recreate the meals that I enjoyed. I love traditional Southern favorites, as well as exotic ethnic cuisines. I frequent farmer's markets to purchase fresh produce, and I buy high quality meats, cheeses, breads, and eggs at the grocery store and specialty food shops. I'm working on a window herb garden. And I'm slowly but surely acquiring a respectable collection of pots and pans, cutlery, utensils, and of course, recipes and cookbooks. Who would've thought?

They say that all human beings fall into one of two categories; those who eat to live, and those who live to eat. Clearly, we know which tribe I belong to!