Are you able to inform us in regards to the intersection of your modeling profession and meals?
The primary actual intersection was rising up in Kentucky and having a really Southern mother. It is humorous as a result of my mother had a love of meals. She grew up on a farm. Her mother and pa have been very near us. She was at all times very into {a magazine} known as “Southern Residing.” Very Southern — casseroles, dishes, truffles. She was an amazing, unbelievable baker. That love of meals, and biscuits, and the custom by way of baking along with her household, positively was very a lot part of my life. She was very into doing traditions, like making one thing [for] Valentine’s, or Easter, or Christmas. She positively celebrated by way of meals.
My mother makes this spinach casserole. It’s the single greatest spinach casserole, moreover her pink velvet cake, and her biscuits. Really, my grandmother’s biscuits have been higher than hers. She had a spinach casserole and it’s very like Americana. It is cheddar, a block of American cheese, like what you place in queso. Cottage cheese, flour, butter, salt. You place it in a Crockpot and also you let it sit.
It’s the single greatest spinach casserole you’ll ever eat. It is actually, actually easy. That is one factor that I completely nonetheless make. I grew up with it. There was a tremendous pink velvet cake. I grew up with cornbread, and tomatoes and cottage cheese. I grew up with biscuits, and breads, and selfmade cookies, and coconut truffles. My aunts and my household made a e book of all of their recipes. It is superb. It is all of her sisters and her brothers and everybody. She makes a chocolate sheet cake. She was most likely a greater baker than a prepare dinner, however she had positively her sure issues.
I believe my actual love of meals from completely different cultures got here by way of modeling, dwelling in NY city, dwelling in Paris and Italy and Germany. By means of that, and likewise touring to India and Thailand, I bought uncovered at fairly a younger age with all of the completely different cultures and all various kinds of meals. My palette grew from being very Southern, to having culturally skilled a variety of various things.
