Tabitha Brown's Southern Spirit

About This Episode

Tabitha Brown is an actress, motivational speaker, and cookbook author who has made a name for herself with inspiring online videos and her vegan spin on classic Southern dishes. She grew up near Eden, North Carolina, where she loved the outdoors and her grandmother's amazing cakes, but she also dreamed of living in a big city and being on television. She eventually moved to California to pursue acting and had some success, but her journey to becoming a vegan is what made her a social media phenomenon. On this episode, she talks about her spirituality, her mysterious illness, and her first cookbook.

What Tabitha Brown Talks About In This Episode

• Her spirituality 
• Her long and mysterious illness
• The documentary her daughter suggested she watch that would change her life
• The story behind her first cookbook, Cooking from the Spirit: Easy, Delicious, and Joyful Plant Based Inspirations
• Cooking as a child with her mom and grandmother 
• Her grandmother's amazing baking 
• Guiding people intimidated by measurements
• Growing up in a small town and loving the outdoors 
• Learning to love jackfruit
  

Quotes From Tabitha Brown In This Episode

"Well, for me, I cook from the spirit. I've never been a person who uses measurements. Watching my granny and my mom, it's like, okay you just put a little bit of that and taste it. Okay. I need a little bit more of this. That's from the spirit. That means I trust myself." - Tabitha Brown

"The last couple of years, Thanksgiving has been at my house. I do a full vegan Thanksgiving. I have all of the favorites, the candied yams, the mac and cheese, the greens, the dressing. And I'll get the little fake turkeys. But I don't even need that. Sometimes I'll just do mushrooms. And everybody loves it, and they don't feel like they've missed anything. And I keep the tradition. I keep all the things that you normally would see on a Thanksgiving or a Christmas table for dinner, and people are like, 'I can't even wrap my mind around the fact that all of this is vegan.' " - Tabitha Brown

About Biscuits & Jam

In the South, talking about food is personal. It's a way of sharing your history, your family, your culture, and yourself. Each week Sid Evans, editor in chief of Southern Living, sits down with celebrity musicians to hear stories of how they grew up, what inspired them, and how they've been shaped by Southern culture. Sid takes us back to some of their most cherished memories and traditions, the family meals they still think about, and their favorite places to eat on the road.

Download and listen to this episode of Biscuits & Jam with Tabitha Brown on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or everywhere podcasts are available.

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors.