—My food story August —’24— 1 South Louisiana is known worldwide for its culinary excellence. Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, food was extremely influential in every aspect of my life. I wear my Louisiana heritage proudly wherever I go, so this is My Food Story. This story ranges from pork, black-eyed peas, and greens on New Year’s Day to the famous pot of gumbo every Christmas. To all my fellow food enthusiasts, my food story is all about family, tradition, and celebration. Growing up, Thanksgiving and Christmas were the staple family gatherings complete with grandparents, great uncles and aunts, and all of their offspring. It was common for the host home to see more than 50 family members coming and going all day. These were my first memories of being from a family with a rich food history. The kitchen counter would be lined with serving dishes filled with turkey, ham, pork roast, collard greens, green beans, rice dressing, cornbread dressing, rice, gravy, macaroni and cheese, and of course sweet potatoes (one version with pecans and one without). The aromas blended nicely as you walked past each dish, but the sweet potatoes certainly dominated and gave the home that unmistakable holiday scent. The gumbo was served on the other side of the kitchen to help keep traffic flowing. Desserts were in a different room, and you had your pickings from Italian crème cake to pralines to sweet potato pecan pie to an array of cookies. By far, these were my favorite two days of the year. This is where I learned about the intricacies of the family from which I come. This is where I learned that many women in my family majored in home economics and cooking because that was one of the few opportunities given to women of color in the South. This is where I learned my great-grandfather raised pigs and made his own sausage. This is where I learned there is nothing more noble than feeding others. So many life lessons and values were poured into me these two days every year, and it all traced back in some way to food and agriculture. As time has passed, so have many family members. But in cherishing the amazing memories, we welcome all the new family members, including my two sons. They are now learnDANIEL WHITLEY FAS ADMINISTRATOR Letter from the Head Foodie in Charge ing about their family heritage and hearing all the stories that have been passed down from generation to generation. They are now going to the grocery store and getting those one or two items that were forgotten. They are now delivering dinners to the elderly neighbors who don’t move around as well anymore. And YES, instead of eating my aunt’s gumbo on the holiday, they are now eating their dad’s gumbo. This is my food story, and within these pages, you will be delighted and enthralled by the stories of food enthusiasts to celebrity chefs from around the world! You will also hear from our American farmers and producers, those that work from sunrise to sunset to ensure that quality U.S. food and agriculture is a part of YOUR FOOD STORY! Welcome to a journey like no other, a food journey!
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