There is a reason that everyone congregates in the kitchen.  Put out a few platters of food and you create a community.  If you want to know what I am about, that is it!  I just enjoy food as a way to bring people together.  I grew up in Louisiana where I developed a love of big flavors and an appreciation for delicious food served family style.  No matter how grand the gathering, there is a sense of ease about Louisiana entertaining.  After I finished school, I headed west to California, where I became obsessed with the local farmers’ markets and Cal-Mex cuisine.  Those influences inform my style of cooking to this day.  (I ended up in New York City but that is an entirely different story!)

I have always loved healthful, whole food cooking but I also took for granted my body’s ability to tolerate processed foods and junk in general before I had kids.  There is nothing like having three babies in four and a half years to make you really think about what you are eating.  Ultimately, I discovered a deeper respect for my body and an intense desire to feel strong.  Most of the time, I eat with those things in mind.

Let it be said, though, that I am not above a splurge.  I might share a few of those recipes here, too, in the interest of full disclosure.

I am not a chef or a nutritionist.  I am just a girl who likes to cook.  I want to feed you gorgeous, good-for-you food and hopefully inspire you to make it, too.  Thanks for visiting Kitchen Below Canal.  I am excited to have you here!

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Dawn Cassidy lives in Manhattan with her husband, three young children and one slightly neurotic wiener dog.

photo credit: Jaimie Baird