My name is Carrie Horazeck. I was born on a family farm in Amherst County, VA.  I spent my childhood riding in hay balers, feeding baby calves bottled milk before the sun came up and tossing salt blocks off the back of my dad’s pick-up truck to herds of hungry heifers. My dad taught me about the link between our land and our food, our family history and food, our culture and food and our future and food.

Our family heritage is most expressed through food. Many of the recipes you’ll see here are interpretations of family secrets, passed down from generations of southern cooks. They feature ingredients that can be found in the South, and that represent local pride. More than that they are all grown locally. Southern cooking culture is intimately tied the ground upon which we live. In the South this means vegetables like corn, black eyed peas, carrots and sweet potatoes, leafy greens like collards and kale, local favorites like spoon bread, three bean salad, ambrosia cake and meat dishes featuring fried chicken, pork and, of course, family raised beef.  We were eating local before eating local was cool. It’s more sustainable for the environment and our business, and let’s be honest, it tastes better!

When I was 23 I married the love of my life, a city kid all the way from Frankfurt, Germany. Over the years, my husband has taught me many things about his own cultural heritage, including the German language and a long list of delicious German recipes. Through visiting and exploring his hometown I have come to love a host of new ingredients and flavors which have since been adopted into the Horazeck family recipe list.

That’s what this blog is all about—sharing my culture through food and exploring other cultures, also through food. In a world of so many divisions and controversy, food is one of the few mediums through which people are willing to come together and listen to each other. It is a powerful tool for creating dialogue and understanding. As you explore these recipes I encourage you to think about your own culinary heritage and what specific recipes and traditions make you proud to be who you are.

Happy Cooking!