I received a copy of Vallery Lomas cookbook Life is What You Bake It in September 2021.
I was 9 months pregnant, exhausted, and counting down the days until my maternity leave.
Every word spoke to me.
Simply Recipes / Clarkson Potter / Linda Xiao
As I continued to read, I found so many parallels between her life and mine.
I startedmy blogjust before COVID and really leaned in during that time to cope with the ever changing world.
I empathize with this so much because when I bake, the world is tranquil and quiet.
The more that I baked, the more I wanted to bake and cook and simply create.
My blog was a universe all of its own and it cuddled me and provided so much warmth.
It wasnt until I saw her pound cake recipe that something really spoke to me, however.
One of my all time favorite desserts is my mothers Mississippi Dirtand myAunt Hazels Pound Cake.
I made Vallerys pound cake recipe and at first bite was immediately transported back to my childhood.
Their resilience and fortitude paved the way for me to develop my own strengths.
For this, I have to thank Vallery.
For sharing so much of herself and her family and journey in this cookbook.
It changed me in a way that I am not fully able to put into words.
Food is the medium that allows for our ancestors to speak through us in ways we cant always verbalize.
However, Vallery did just that.
She made the intangible, tangiblewith grace, poise, and amazing recipes to back it up.
Thank you Vallery for being an inspiration to me and to all who know you.
