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. I was a Ragin’ Cajun and attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette before finally graduating from the University of New Orleans.
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.
I lived in Tampa, Florida for 11 years where I enjoyed introducing my non-Cajun friends to all the best South Louisiana foods, like chicken and sausage gumbo, red beans and rice, and king cake. In 2026 I moved back to the New Orleans area with my husband and dog. It feels really good to bring Lauren From Scratch back to the homeland!
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! See the recipe index.
100 Cooks – Food Network
In 2026, I competed on Food Network’s 100 Cooks, hosted by Terry Crews and judged by Alex Guarnaschelli and Nick DiGiovanni where 100 of America’s best home cooks battle it out for the ultimate prize.
I grew up watching Food Network. Alton Brown’s Good Eats had me hooked early on with the science behind cooking. Competing on one of their shows was truly an opportunity of a lifetime. It was the most exciting, stressful, and fun experience of my life. I also walked away with a group of incredibly talented home cooks who I now call friends.
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.
- New Orleans and 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?
I’d love to help with recipe development, sponsored posts, recipe photography and more. Send me an email!
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.
Join the email list to stay up to date with all the latest deliciousness.
Drop me an email at lauren@laurenfromscratch.com, I’d love to hear from you!
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