Julep Magazine: A Cover Story

I'm beyond overjoyed to announce that I'm Julep Magazines "covergirl" for the summer issue! Get the inside scoop here - http://juleponline.com/behind-the-scenes-summer-issue-cover-shoot.aspx - and be sure to subscribe! 

Melissa poses for photographer, Glen Rose, at the Julep Magazine cover shoot. Photo credit: Rebecca Wilson

   

Bon Appétit

Right now (as in 8:01 pm on Saturday night) I'm drinking an Argentinean Malbec in a mason jar, I've got an Asparagus Ricotta Pizza in the oven & my feet are soaking in an aromatic concoction of bath salts. I've spent the last 2 days cooking & I'm pretty sure I'll need the foot massage fairy to visit me in the night or I'll never be able to get out of bed tomorrow. Why does this matter? It doesn't. Other than the fact that I wanted to introduce a new feature on my blog & figured I could be more clever than just simply announcing a new feature on my blog. So, there's going to be a new feature on my blog about cooking.


I love to cook. My Nanna was an incredible chef & she lived across the street. My Momma has made some of the most memorable meals in my life... like decadent browned butter mashed potatoes from a Thanksgiving dinner gone awry. Yep, they were a complete mistake but absolutely delicious. I really got into cooking my last year of college. It became a full-on obsession when I moved to Nashville. I spent all of my money (literally) on cookbooks & elaborate ingredients; testing out recipes on my new friends & discovering cuisines from around the world. Yes, I'm self-taught. Like anything, cooking just takes practice. 


To supplement the little money I made in the music industry, I started my own in-home "chef" business for families in Nashville. Meals In Heels - that's right. I made dinner for some great people. Most recently I've been cooking at an incredible organic restaurant outside of the city. Pretty much everything is sourced locally & you can find me there on a Friday or Saturday making ice cream, or roasting turkeys or concocting sheep cheese & strawberry balsamic salads - because we just got fresh sheep cheese & strawberries from the farm.  


Like music, food is a creative outlet for me. I love coming up with new things to eat. I rarely ever make the same meal twice. Sure, I've got my favorite tried & true recipes but I love to try new things. So, long story short, my new blog feature will be all about food. Great recipes, tips, or just me gushing on an incredible meal I had. If you don't cook, you can. As Julia would say, "Bon Appétit!"