Southern flavors ignite something in us. Certain foods and aromas hold sweet nostalgia and bring delightful memories rushing back, and the colorful stories of our roots are sometimes wrapped up in collard greens and drenched in sweet tea. Whether you’ve chosen to live the vegan life or you’re just looking to incorporate more plant-based recipes into your weekly menu, with this book, you don’t have to lose any of those beloved flavors and dishes.
I grew up in a meat-eating household. My parents made food and I ate it without question—until I was about twelve years old. Consuming meat became an issue for me after researching the meat industry for a sixth-grade school assignment. It was the ’90s and I had no concept of how to live life without eating meat. I didn’t know a single person who was vegetarian, let alone vegan, and I was initially concerned that I’d be missing out on enjoying all the food my family and friends made. My family’s roots are southern, and I sure did enjoy eating fried chicken, meatloaf and mashed potatoes. The only vegetables I liked were broccoli and carrots!
While it took me a few more years to really dive into plant-based eating, I stuck with it and now it’s just a part of who I am. I don’t eat animal products because I love animals and I care a great deal about the planet, but mostly, I just really don’t want to confine myself to the standard American diet. And instead of telling others what they shouldn’t eat, I prefer to show them the variety of things they can eat on a plant-based diet.
While in culinary school, I was told that I would never get anywhere in my field if I didn’t eat meat. However, I stuck to my plant-based values and graduated with a culinary arts degree and a degree in baking and pastry. I eventually began working at a coffee shop where I was put in charge of developing a menu of fresh vegan baked goods. I spent days writing and testing recipes and I realized, damn, I’m good at this. From there, I created The Raven Bakery, my very own vegan baked goods business. But I wanted more. I had so many recipe ideas—not just for sweet treats but savory dishes as well. And so Rabbit and Wolves, my blog baby, was born. It began as a conversation between my husband, Chris, and I. He’s a meat-lover’s-pizza kind of guy, so if I could create vegan recipes that made his eyes roll back in his head upon first bite, then I must be onto something worth sharing with the world! We chose the name Rabbit and Wolves to describe me, a rabbit (plant eater), and everyone else in my family, wolves (meat eaters). Dedication to originality is the reason for my blog’s success; so much time and energy have gone into creating unique content. All the hard work paid off and now Rabbit and Wolves is my full-time gig, and I couldn’t be more satisfied. And it’s only getting better!
As a child, my absolute favorite foods were the southern staples I (and many of you) grew up eating. Luckily for all of us, veganism is the future. Many brands now carry vegan butter, and there are more nondairy milks than I can keep track of. Vegan cream cheese and yogurt are abundant. Vegan mayonnaise? No problem! It has never been easier to find all kinds of vegan products, so no matter what food you want to veganize, you can make it happen. Many of those nostalgic recipes from my childhood have been veganized using those ingredients and added to this book just for you. No matter your diet, you will find in these pages the southern-inspired food you’ve been craving. These recipes not only provide comfort for the soul, they’re also a joy to make and to eat. And they’re anything but boring. Enjoy!
