ABOUT

The Mise En Place for My Supreme Meal

What Are You Vigilant About?

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Hi, I'm Gillian, and I'm Your Cultured Chef. Use me as a resource and allow me to be your Guide as we navigate the intricacies of food and how it shapes the world around ALL of us. If you thought food was only responsible for our nourishment, stay awhile, look around. I hope you'll see how food is responsible for more than our nourishment; it is our livelihood and it affirms one's identity. At its core, food (and adequate access to it) is power and builds and strengthens a community. That's our roots, ya'll. I invite you to live vicariously through my worldly culinary ventures as I share something quite profound: we are much more alike than we are different.

What Are You Preserving?

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I've spent most of my life being of service. Long before I knew it was an act, it was simply a part of my every day. I didn't know there was such a thing as a chef, I just thought you cooked for people because you loved them. My grandparents were my biggest muse, and the most vivid memories I have growing up is of them doing good for others. Country summer days were happily spent over simmering pots of ham hocks and peas.

Grandaddy cleaned the fish he'd caught that morning and my grandmother taught me to fry green tomatoes in the cast iron. There was always a Swann's Down pound cake under my grandmother's glass, and there was always a seat at her table. Everyone was welcome. That wasn't a service...that was love. I'll always strive to exemplify the lessons learned around that dinner table in little Moro, Arkansas. 

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Nothing That You've Been Through Will Be Wasted..

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  Combined, I've served over 10 years in Active Duty Air Force and the Air National Guard. As an avionics maintainer for some of our nation's top fighter and reconnaissance aircraft, I was blessed with the opportunity to live and travel in some of the world's most intriguing places. Man, we worked hard. We sacrificed. We missed ALOT, but we had each other. Isn't it funny how sharing tough situations with others makes it seem a little less tough?? My troops were often homesick in far away lands, so I took it back to the only thing I knew without a doubt, felt like home for me...cooking. Gathered around eclectic favorites, we became family. It didn't matter where anyone came from or what troubles lie ahead when plates piled high, wafting of my grandmother's comfort, sat before us. I knew then I was magic .

To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Expected...

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I founded Salt & Light with a mission to be more intentional as I walk in my Purpose. I wanted to wake up everyday and love what I do. I started writing about my passions, my thoughts, and how food was expressed through the various cultural lenses that I've been exposed to. Take some time to explore the blog; get a taste of what goes on in my mind and the core values that motivate me to be a part of something bigger than myself. Feel free to reach out! I'd love to know...

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What Are Your Ingredients?