A love letter to the Southern biscuit, honoring its place in Black culinary culture and beyond with over 70 delicious recipes. There has been a lot going on since I last posted in this space. Mainly for the last 2 years we’ve been growing our little biscuit eatery here in Atlanta. Bomb Biscuit Company. I also wrote a book!! I’m beyond excited to have my debut cookbook, Still We Rise, start hitting shelves in just a few days.   In Still We Rise, I pass along the knowledge I’ve learned that helped me become a better baker and perfect my biscuit recipes. The recipes within will he ..read more

When I think of the beach, I think of standing in the sand as the water waves over my feet, and the tide threatens to pull me in like some invisible surfboard that tingles between my toes. Looking into the distance at the fading sails and bright rays of sun, I think of Freeman Beach. Freeman Beach or Seabreeze, a coastal town in Wilmington North Carolina, was a popular beach resort for African Americans from the 1920s to 1960s, as they were forbidden to visit any other beaches in the state during the Jim Crow era. Founded by a free man of color named Alexander Freeman, its origins are a stor ..read more

“Long time no hear from .. ” It’s been over a year since I posted in this space but we’ll get to that another day. In the meantime, I had the pleasure of being able to preach the gospel of biscuits and talk a little about my families history with Francis Lam on The Splendid Table Podcast. Episode is out now! Hope ya’ll will have a listen and check out my recipe for Syrup Butter Biscuits! Look out for new recipes coming next week ..read more

There was immense excitement as we tore open a large brown box. My son had no idea what it housed, just that it looked like a present and most presents are for him. As I pulled out another box, he gave me an odd look, one of slight disappointment as this boxes showed no sign of it contents containing Legos. After wiping off our new KitchenAid® Artisan® Mini and placing it up on the table alongside my other mixers. A table that clearly shows my love for both KitchenAid® Classic™ Artisan® mixers and baking, as it's often covered in flour as both mixers churn together. My son's face lit up in a ..read more

I'm always learning, Sometimes just by observing what's around me. Trees, much like people, have branches that grow apart, in opposite directions, in different shapes, sprouting new branches. Yet they remain deeply rooted together at their foundation. Realizing they need each other in order to continue to grow and soar to new heights above the other surrounding trees in the forest. People, unlike trees, don't seem to always think this way.. I'm always learning, what has tried to demolish me has only polished me into what I am today. So much so that negativity, bad vibes, and disappointing peo ..read more

  This time of year is what I consider cake baking season, at least for me. The crisp air, plus the up and coming holiday seasons, brings out the bundt pans and cake flour. One of the most passed down cake recipes in my family is the 1-2-3-4 pound cake, which you could only ever make with Swans Down© flour, something my grandmother was adamant about in her instructions.  Those same instructions, that as an adult, I would discover live on the back of every box of Swans Down© flour. The soft winter wheat flour also was regularly added into the dough to make soft and flaky biscuits. Somethi ..read more

Rich, creamy and decadent are the star qualities in the best desserts. Throw some classic chocolate candies in and you've got a world class winner guaranteed to gain you applause. Cheesecake is hands down my favorite dessert, that I may sometimes even eat for breakfast. So, when asked to create something sweet for using Turtles® clusters, there was no question as to what that dessert would be. Turtles® original are clusters of pecans covered in caramel and milk chocolate. They also come in mini and bite sizes-which is basically the best idea ever. For this recipe, I used the full-size cluster ..read more

"I'm good like salt pork in a pot of potatoes."       My first place "as an adult" on my own, was a small studio apartment in a duplexish house. I say duplexish because the owner did a terrible job at trying to turn an old house into 4 apartments. Terrible, like when you open your closet and it's shared with the other tenants closet. Anyway, the house was in what people would call a "sketchy" part of town. I use that word reluctantly, because so often the 'sketchiness" of an area is determined by the ethnicity of its inhabitants. The people that lived around me were colorful ..read more

"no one leaves home unless   home is the mouth of a shark.   you only run for the border when you see the whole city running as well."   -Home, by Warsan Shire Sometimes we have to step out into the unknown, moving out of bad places. Sometimes we have to run in the middle of the night like our life depends on it. When I was seeking refuge, a friend of a friend offered my daughter and I sanctuary in the form of her spare bedroom. To be frank, we’d only met once through a mutual friend.  I worried this compassionate person, had no clue what she was signing up for ..read more

  This has been quite a year. I’ve been away from this space more this year than since I began this blogging journey. Let’s end this year with some thoughts, my feelings going into 2017 and cornbread. My last post ruffled some feathers, which was strange because I’ve always been very vocal about the events that transpire around us. As an African American woman, raising two children and just trying to overall exist in today’s society, I’ve had a first hand relationship with racism. Unfortunately, it’s never NOT been a part of my life, as much as I abhor its very existence. Food and the di ..read more