If you have been following this blog and my social media, you know that I love me some food. Eat in, eat out, it does not matter. What does matter is how it tastes, how it looks and whether or not my family and I enjoy it. The purpose of this blog is to discuss how I became the foodie I am today.
Family Food History
Food has always been a staple in my life. I come from a long line of great cooks, restaurant owners and professional chefs. Family gatherings were often like food festivals filled with everyone’s favorite dishes displayed so beautifully, it looked too good to eat. Holidays were the best because that is when recipes passed down for generations got used to keep the memories of lost loved ones alive. The torch has been passed to me and now I am the festive one who prepares and shares awesome food with my family and friends. I shared a video on my YouTube channel in 2019 where my mom, my oldest daughter and I cooked a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all of the family favorites. Disaya and I learned a lot of great recipes, tips and best practices that day. The experience was very memorable and that is when I knew I wanted to share all the lessons I learned over the years with everyone. Some of the recipes can be found in my WTF to Cook e-books.
My Southern Food History
My family, like most black families is rooted in the south, My maternal great great Grandfather was a restaurant owner in Tennessee where my great Grandmother (born and raised in Alabama) worked as a cook. My great Aunt was a domestic cook in the south before before moving the entire family north to Ohio. There she and my great Grandmother continued cooking in a domestic capacity for several wealthy families. While doing “day work” was their profession on the books, off the books, they sold dinners! They say “everybody” came from far and near to buy the awesome food these two cooked.
My great Grandmother had a house with about a 1/2 acre of land, and she turned her back yard into a mini vegetable farm. She taught my Mom how to cook and ignited her passion for food which ultimately lead her to culinary school to become a professional chef. My Mom graduated with honors and went on to develop a personal chef service and a popular restaurant in Tallahassee called Simply Soulful. I actually worked as a hostess and a banquet server at the restaurant and had a chance to learn about cooking for entertaining and how to pull a special meal together quickly and within budget.
My Mom is very creative and used to entertain a lot when I was growing up. I admired her ability to create beautiful tablescapes and display her food so effortlessly and this was before culinary school. It was no surprise to me that she went on in to catering where she was able to let that creativity fly. Like my Mom, I enjoy making a beautiful table to accent the good food I cook. Be sure to check my House To Home blogs to view some of my designs.
My paternal Grandmother had her cooking roots in Georgia and man could she cook!! I enjoyed watching her make meals when I visited her in Philadelphia, which is where my Father was raised. While she is no longer with us physically, my memories of her food will forever be in my mind and soul. I loved her so much. I feel she is with me now guiding me as I grow in this foodie space.
My Food Business
I really enjoy eating out and trying new foods. Often times a great food find motivates me to create my own version at home for our family to enjoy. My WTF to Cook E-books were created to help people pull together delicious meals in a short period of time without breaking the bank. Each book has recipes and shopping lists to make it easy to cook flavorful creative meals at home. I have also included bonus recipes and drink recommendations in the series.
I am very proud of my WTF to Cook e-books and to compliment them and help you look great while cooking those meals, I have launched a line of very cute and trendy aprons. I offer a signature apron in 2 colors along with aprons that let the world know Black Girls and Millennials Can Cook Too!! Be sure to check them out by using the shop tab on this site.
Finally, you know I love to entertain and decorate my dining room for special events and different seasons. Many ask where I get some of the items I use to decorate, so I shared them in my Amazon Store. I also share a ton of information on my Instagram including great inexpensive table decorations and tips on placement and themes. @nlovewithjasmine.
Music and Food are sisters!
I’m a huge music head and I’ve learned that both food and music simultaneously makes me happy. A good playlist while I cook AND eat is imperative for my experience. If you follow my Instagram I cook a meal on my stories a few times a week and choose an artist to accompany the process through music.
I hope this backstory helps you understand why I love food and have decided sharing that love with others is part of my work. Please let me know your thoughts. have you purchased anything for the WTF to Cook Collection? If so, please share your pictures with me.
