“Food Network Star” Damaris Phillips On Southern Vegetarian Traditions
Written by Vegetarian Star on August 13th, 2013 in Chefs, Film & TV, Food & Drink.
Damaris Phillips grew up in the South and even though she’s gained fame for her Food Network Star stint, she hasn’t forgotten her roots.
Vegetarians will be pleased to hear she praises plant-based southern cooking and would like people to know it’s not about fried foods and butter.
The Kentucky native interviewed with TVLine where she discussed growing up eating very little meat.
Today she continues to cook the way she grew up, even for the show. One of her favorite dishes, which was featured on the Unusual Ingredient Challenge, was a cabbage with cauliflower and mango pickle.
“I just feel southern cuisine has been misinterpreted,” Phillips said. “Everyone thinks of it as fried meats and gravy — chicken-fried steak with gravy on top. But growing up, we didn’t eat a lot of meat. It was too expensive. And if you look at southern food, it’s not super meat-heavy. It is very, very vegetable-heavy. If you think of greens, it has flavorings, leftover parts like a ham hock or a little bit of bacon to flavor the greens, but the bounty was the greens.”
Phillips even goes so far as to replace traditional meat seasonings in veggies with plant-based ones.
“When I make greens, I make them with miso instead of bacon. I’m happy any time you can make a food that’s delicious and yet doesn’t exclude people who are vegetarian, or eat gluten free, or have food allergies. Plus, there’s joy in a surprise element. The first time you make something, there’s always that sense of pride and excitement.”
Read more at TVLine.
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