I’m not sure if there’s such a thing as the opposite of a professional chef, but if there is, I would imagine that working for a bank is pretty close. I am not a chef, I’ve never been to culinary school, or even worked in a restaurant. But, I do have a serious passion for cooking (ok, it’s an obsession). And I have a history of going off on rants, especially about food. So, this will not be professional advice or a ton of specific recipes. It will be more of how I cook for my wife and friends and I try to experiment with something new at least once a week– that’s what I’ll be documenting here.

I am originally from Shreveport, LA (the less fun part of the state) but we moved to Knoxville, TN in 2015. Being a Louisianian, a lot of what I cook is Cajun or Creole, or just southern in general. But, I Also love French and Italian cuisine and learning about anything new.

My wife’s 90+ year old grandmother has always said, “If the recipe says to run around the block, I’ll run around the block,” and she cooks some dishes that would put me to shame. So, far be it from me to argue with granny, but I’m of the firm belief that cooking happens when you stop looking at the recipe. I love to read cook books and research recipes, but when it actually comes to cooking, I end up going on instinct.