Hey, y’all! 👋🏼 I am so glad you dropped by!
My name is Lauren LeBlanc, and I’m the blogger, recipe developer, food photographer, and otherwise food obsessed gal behind Lauren From Scratch.
I was born and raised in New Orleans and lived in South Louisiana most of my life.
Growing up around New Orleans and Cajun country has instilled a love of food that runs deep in my bones.
Food is at the heart of everything we do in South Louisiana. From big joyous life celebrations, and even the sad moments in life, and everyday in between. I guess you can say we eat our feelings in the South.
Now I live in the hot and sunny Tampa, Florida with my fiancé. I enjoy introducing my non-Cajun friends to all the best South Louisiana foods, like gumbo, jambalaya, and king cake!
When I’m not working on Lauren From Scratch, you will most likely find me hanging out at home (where my fellow homebodies at?), playing Sims (I’ve loved that game since middle school!), making plans for my new vegetable garden (the last one got the best of me), or cruising around with my fiancé on the motorcycle (something I never thought I'd do!).
This year I quit my job as a psychiatric physician assistant to pursue Lauren From Scratch full time. And wow was that scary! But it’s also been so fun and deeply fulfilling. I hope I can continue living my dreams, cookin’ up delicious recipes, photographing them, and sharing them with you for years to come!
My inspiration
I’ve always loved cooking, and well, eating too. My favorite toy as a child was my kitchen set.
My Paw Paw (that’s grandfather for you non-southern folk) was an excellent cook and locally famous for his Cajun cuisine. He could always be found in the kitchen, or outside around a massive cauldron-like pot, sautéing up the Holy Trinity for one of his dishes. He was an amazing person and I really strive to live with his same joie de vivre.
This blog is dedicated to him, hence the onion in the logo. When I was younger, I couldn’t escape his house without leaving smelling like onions. Cooking onions sure does have a way of permeating into your clothes, after all, and every good Cajun dish starts with them. Now I wear that smell as a badge of honor, and an homage to him and the love of cooking he instilled in me.
I’m as passionate about teaching as I am about food, and I love to help others make restaurant quality dishes in their own kitchen! I hope you’ll find these recipes, tips, and kitchen tricks helpful, cook some delicious meals, and have a damn good time in the process.
In the words of Paw Paw, “good wine, good meat, good lord, let’s eat”. Let’s get to some recipes!
2023 Update
This year I’ve decided to lean back into my Cajun roots and focus solely on South Louisiana, New Orleans, and Cajun recipes. I have all your favorite Cajun recipes coming down the pipeline soon, but if you want to start with some now, try your hand at making your own Cajun Seasoning or Blackened Chicken.
Sign up for my email community so you’re the first to know about your favorite Cajun recipes hitting the website.
What you’ll find here
- Recipes from scratch. I try my best to make everything homemade, use as little processed products as possible, and cook with the highest quality ingredients available.
- Kitchen education. Throughout the recipe posts, you’ll find some pro tips to make it right the first time, with minimal stress. I want everyone from the complete beginner to the seasoned chef to be able to replicate these recipes.
- Cajun cuisine. I’m working to add more Cajun, South Louisiana, and New Orleans recipes to the repertoire, so check back soon to find your favorites. See all the current Cajun recipes here.
- A little lagniappe. (LAN-yap: Cajun French for a little something extra). In addition to recipes, I’m working on some informational posts too to answer all your burning kitchen and cuisine questions.
Lauren’s favorite recipes
Reader favorites
Get to know me
PIZZA. Easy. I could eat pizza every day of the week. My ideal pizza: Chewy crust, red sauce, lots of mozzarella cheese, Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, ricotta, and tons of garlic. Plus a side of marinara sauce for dipping. *chef’s kiss*
A tough one! My grandpa, Martha Stewart, Ina Garten, Ashley Longshore, Anthony Bourdain, and Julia Child.
Sex and the City, Gilmore Girls, Dexter, and The Office
Scorpio sun, Virgo moon, and Aquarius rising.
Want to work with me?
Head over to the Work With Me page to discover how I can help you or your brand out with recipe development, food photography, or ghostwriting!
Let's hang out!
You can usually find me scrolling on Instagram or talking about Cajun cooking in my Louisiana, New Orleans, and Cajun Recipes facebook group.
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Drop me an email at lauren@laurenfromscratch.com, I'd love to hear from you!
