Southern Comfort
I was born in the small town of Pilot Mountain, NC to two loving and supportive parents. Growing up on a tobacco and cattle farm owned by my grandparents who lived off the land their entire lives is where I was instilled with Southern values, food, and traditions. Some of my fondest memories growing up were working in my Papa’s garden and eating Granny’s home cooked supper every night while watching the Andy Griffith Show. My proudest moments came from taking my great grandmother to the county fair each fall to watch her snag countless blue ribbons for her cakes/pies/quilts/jams/fudge/whatever else she decided to enter only after years of trial-and-error in the pursuit of perfection.
I am very fortunate to be a Tar Heel born and bred (thanks Dad!) in a town right off Tobacco Road where the ACC tournament meant spending your afternoons at school watching the games on one of these. It was well known from a very young age that I would be headed to Chapel Hill for college. After moving into my first dorm and resorting to eating cafeteria food, I quickly started missing home cooked meals and fresh produce from the garden. My great grandmother passed away spring semester my freshman year, and it became even more important to me to learn to cook like the fantastic women who raised me.
As soon as I was able to move off campus, I started trying to recreate the meals I grew up on. Soul Food Sundays became a routine at my apartment and went on without a hitch thanks to frequent calls home to my aunt, Granny and mom. But do you know how hard it is to recreate their recipes with measurements like “a bit”, “a dash”, “just a little” or “a pinch”?
The older I’ve gotten the more my Southern heritage means to me, and how much more living on Tobacco Road has given me than just good basketball. The food, the beauty, the culture, the history, the people…no matter where I travel, there’s no place like home. I love our Earth and was taught to take care of it through my grandfather’s activism as he served 47 years for the Surry County Soil and Water Conservation District. While I am excited to see the state of North Carolina progressing in technology and resources, I am very avid about bridging the gap between progress and greener living, especially in support of local farming.
Besides cooking and watching UNC games, my favorite things include spending time with my boyfriend Kendall, tailgating, crafting, event planning, having drinks with friends/family, and the autumn-Christmas seasons (also known as #FlakeFlourishSeason). By day I am the Manager of Underground Printing, a custom apparel and UNC retail store located on Franklin Street.
I created TRB to share my Southern inspired recipes, experiences, and passions. Feel free to leave a comment or question below and thanks for stopping by!
-Liz, The Tobacco Road Belle
