About Jacquelyn D Kirkland

From a young age, Jacquelyn D Kirkland acquired an appreciation for gourmet cuisine and a cultivated palate. As a child, Kirkland would shop with her family for the highest quality ingredients at the local farmers’ market, fishmonger, and butcher. Together they would tackle new recipes in preparation for Sunday’s dinner. These traditions fostered in Jacquelyn D Kirkland the desire to create authentic replications of complicated dishes and to share her appreciation of them with others.

Currently, Kirkland continues to hone her cooking skills by following recipes. A fan of Cajun cuisine, she looks to its masters for guidance. A favorite Cajun cuisine chef is John Besh. Besh, whom she discovered on television one day, piqued her interest by serving his double-stuffed pork chops with grits. In recreating his unique innovation, Kirkland seized the challenge of brining the pork chops and making a stuffing, which yielded a mouthwatering result.

Kirkland also derives Cajun cooking inspiration from chef Paul Prudhomme. She has made his jambalaya, but has had great success with the gumbo. She has mastered the complex red roux, the initial, most complicated step of the recipe that is key to its savory taste. She then combines the roux with fish, sausage, and shrimp for an outstanding result.

Kirkland is also passionate about French cuisine and has profited from her familiarity with the works of renowned authors Juila Child and Dorie Greenspan. From Julia Child, she has adapted her famous coq au vin recipe, and from Dorie Greenspan, her quiche recipes. In reproducing the culinary successes of the masters, Jacquelyn D Kirkland has developed an in-depth understanding of how preparation, anticipation, patience, and integrity can contribute to a superior culinary experience.