I'm a good Southern girl who discovered that food was more than traditional Southern and chain restaurants when I went to college. My love for food only expanded while studying abroad in Northern Spain, where I got explore Mediterranean cooking and French pastries. I helped make ends meet while in school working as a cafeteria lady, caterer, prep and line cook. Now I spend my free time cooking and experimenting and am debating going to culinary school to become a pastry chef. I love creating new vegetarian recipes, usually Asian inspired, though occasionally a twist on a Southern comfort food favorite. I also use any excuse to make elaborate cakes and homemade chocolates. My family is traditionally from the coast of N.C., so homecooking to me is fried seafood, peel & eat shrimp, eastern style barbeque (I make my own using TVP) and all the fixings. It's terribly unhealthy but oh so very good. I created a chocolate covered cherry cake for my mother's birthday, topped with dark chocolate fudge, fresh cherries and drizzled with melted dark chocolate. My sister wanted to know what bakery I bought it from! I once attempted to make a Mediterranean/Asian fusion dish with couscous, chickpeas and spinach. It was so disgusting that even my boyfriend who eats everything couldn't eat it. It ended up in the trashcan and we were forced to go out for dinner.