introduction

I’ve always been a Southern boy at heart. I grew up surrounded by butterflies, oak trees, and gardenias. On the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, I spent summers running barefoot through wet grass, swimming in bayous, and picking ripe blueberries warm from the sunshine. I was, and still am, profoundly impacted by my roots and the scenery of my youth. As an adult, I’ve kept my childlike fascination with the wild and luscious Southern landscape. I am awed and inspired by the little things: the designs of a tightly wrapped magnolia bud, the bursting hot pink color on an azalea bush, the taste of juicy loquats or the sweet nectar from a honeysuckle flower. Growing up in the midst of all of this beauty has undoubtedly had a lasting effect on me. My heart still melts at the sight of a Mississippi sunset and/or a perfectly bloomed camellia. As a young child, I vividly remember touching the stalk of a tomato plant and thinking how magnificent the smell was. It’s not very often that the actual stalk smells as intoxicating as the fruit itself, am I right? I would watch my father plant tulip bulbs and meticulously tend to his roses.

I’ve always known that I was more intensely connected to plants than others. At an early age, I could just tell. My eyes widened just a bit more when I spotted wildflowers, I was more excited to pick fresh strawberries, and the very thought of a citrus tree, bursting with bright clusters of fruit, resonated with me in such a way, I knew deep down that edible plants was my undeniable passion.

These days, I am even more excited because I have the chance to share this beauty with all of you. As a recipe developer and photographer, I feel as though it is my utmost responsibility to collect, create, organize, and share. As an artist, this has always been an instinct of mine, as early as I can remember—from creating mud pie recipes to be baked on the back porch in the scorching sun, to creating an intricate nature installation in the living room (to my mother’s dismay), which included a tadpole tank surrounded by a collection of rocks, crystals, bark, and leaves. My fascination with gathering small objects from nature and arranging them beautifully is still an integral part of my life today. My hands have always been busy, my eyes always curiously wondering, and my heart always craving to share.

It seems, in fact, like my entire life has prepared me for exactly this: to create a cookbook, sharing my recipes, my Southern roots, and my vegan beliefs. The recipes in this book are more than lists of ingredients and steps for preparation. Each one of them is a story: a story about the plant and mushroom kingdoms, the South, and the traditions there.

I’ve been a passionate vegan for over a decade now and the decision has touched every aspect of my life. The foundation of my veganism stems from my love of plants, mushrooms, animals, and the planet. I’ve always been incredibly sensitive and emotional, with a heightened sense of my surroundings. The mere thought of an animal being harmed, in any way, is simply not an option for me to support. It’s not a way of eating that has ever appealed to me, either. I’ve always been drawn to beautiful ripe fruit, vibrant vegetables, fresh herbs, clusters of grains, nuts and seeds, peas and heirloom beans, and mushrooms. Veganism, to me, has been more of an instinct than anything. A celebration of what I do eat and how delicious it can be, while also celebrating awareness, kindness, and compassion to animals and our earth.

Now, if you had told me just a few years ago that I would be moving away from New York City and back to my native state of Mississippi to write a cookbook, I would have laughed out loud! I surprised myself with the idea of wanting to move when it first crossed my mind. What started out as a subtle tug in my heart telling me that I needed to change my surroundings soon turned into a call too loud to ignore. It just made sense. New York City is energetic, captivating, and enchanting. It was there that I created my Mississippi Vegan identity, which merged my past and my present along with all of my passions: creating recipes, taking photographs, and sharing with the world. But toward the end of the five years I lived in the bustling city, I knew in my heart it was time to leave. The city itself was like a teacher saying, “Okay, you’re ready now. Go.” The month before moving back, I was given the opportunity to write this very cookbook, filled with recipes and stories from my home state that celebrate plant-based cooking and reveal the beauty that remains in Mississippi. After living elsewhere for nearly twelve years, I found myself moving back to my native state to work on the most meaningful and important project of my life. Can we all say full circle?

Growing up on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and being so close to New Orleans, I was exposed to one of the greatest culinary worlds of all time: Cajun and Creole cuisine. I was raised on some of the most delicious foods in the world. In this cookbook, I’ve applied everything I’ve learned as a passionate cook and vegan to the traditional recipes that I grew up eating, while also introducing some of the best recipes, tips, and tricks I’ve been exposed to during my life. I can only hope that this book will provide you with the skills to become an excellent home cook, while also showing you the love and pride that Cajun, Creole, and Southern foods are known for.

What’s funny now is to look back at the time I was eating these recipes. I had no idea that I was creating a special bond with them. Of course, there’s no way for you to understand the comfort that a nostalgic dish may hold when you are just a child. Similar to music, it’s only after a certain amount of time that you truly understand how a particular song can touch your heart. The same concept applies to recipes. Growing up, I never thought twice about eating a scoop of mashed potatoes with gravy and what kinds of memories it might bring later in life. But now, when I take a bite of those fluffy potatoes with silky-smooth gravy, I’m propelled to that feeling of comfort I experienced as a child. These days, when I’m exposed to a new recipe that excites me, my eyes widen and my mind begins to buzz. All of the recipes in this book fall under that umbrella: a culmination of recipes that have resonated with me throughout most of my life and also some new favorites.

As a teenager, I was drawn to the world of photography, in particular the idea of being the photographer. The idea of organizing a composition of shapes and colors that interest me, while searching for gorgeous light, has always just made sense to me. I first started photographing my sister. Then nature. It never dawned on me to photograph food until only a few years ago. Toward the end of high school and at the beginning of college, I knew in my heart that I was an artist, through and through. Cooking has also come naturally, but I didn’t always think of those two pursuits as having a connection.

During college, I compartmentalized both cooking and art. When I was in school, studying studio-art classes like sculpture, painting, and photography, I was exploring my identity and my passions while attempting to evoke emotion and beauty. Outside of class, I was constantly cooking for friends, volunteering on farms, or foraging for fruit. Cooking was my therapy—wash, cut, and organize a collection of ingredients; cook them at different stages with different herbs and spices, share them with friends and family. It still didn’t click for me that cooking was art. It wasn’t until I was living in New York City that I ultimately realized that the act of creating a recipe, styling the food, and photographing it to represent my passions was one of the most artistic expressions I could ever create!

The recipes and photographs in this book are much more than just pictures of food. They represent a past, a present, and a history of influences and inspiration. The act of composing instructions and ingredients for someone else to follow in order to create something beautiful and delicious is, in my opinion, magical. You could argue that it has even more impact than a piece of contemporary art. There’s not only an artful image, but the instructions to help bring it to life. What’s even more touching is when people cook and share a recipe with their friends, families, and loved ones. When a recipe becomes a tradition, it becomes a part of people’s lives. I couldn’t ask for something more touching than that.

I wrote this cookbook in a rather unconventional way. I didn’t have a team of people helping me, nor did I hire a photographer or a food stylist. Instead, I had my friends help me. They graciously came from all around the world to visit me in my home in Mississippi to help me cook, document, and style the food you see on these pages. Aside from creating, the research was constant. Countless phone calls to my mother. “What was that one dish you always made?” or “Didn’t we have that at the neighbors’ Christmas party?” The majority of these recipes stem directly from my childhood, dishes that I can only remember in my mind. But others pick and pull from what I’ve learned throughout my life, allowing me to introduce something special and unique.

As you explore the recipes, stories, and photographs in this book, I truly hope that you are able to understand “Mississippi Vegan” as a concept. Although it may sound literal, as I am from Mississippi and I am vegan, this creative endeavor is about more than a specific location. It’s a constant celebration of delicious food, memories, and pride in growing and sourcing local produce. It’s an exploration of nature and a constant search for beauty that exists in this world. Coming back to my home state of Mississippi was the only place that made sense for me to write this book, and I am so happy that I did. Although I most likely will move on to other cities to explore new chapters in my life, I will always remember living here to write this book as one of the most profound experiences in my life.

As I finish writing this very introduction, my heart is heavy. It’s a closing of a beautiful chapter in my life. One that I will never forget. I could never have anticipated how incredibly emotional it would be to move back to Mississippi to write this cookbook and to share it with all of you. Exploring memories, experiencing overwhelming nostalgia, and documenting the inspiration and beauty of my home state has been immensely gratifying. And although it is hard for me to let go, I know that it’s now time for these stories, recipes, and photographs to touch your hearts just as much as they have touched mine.

Warmly,