An avid cook, Jacquelyn D. Kirkland began pursuing her passion for food preparation at a young age. As a child, she enjoyed reading recipes and lending a hand in preparing Sunday dinners. On Saturdays, Jacquelyn D. Kirkland's family attended the local farmer's market to buy farm fresh eggs and vegetables. These experiences taught her which produce was in season and which was not. Following the farmer's market, her family routinely visited the butcher or fishmonger to acquire protein for the coming Sunday meal. Once the family returned home, they worked on mastering a new recipe with the ingredients they had acquired.
Since then, Jacquelyn Kirkland has channeled these childhood lessons in mastering recipes into her love of French and Cajun cuisine. When preparing one of her favorite dishes, a gumbo recipe written by Paul Prudhomme, she enjoys the complexity of the roux and the way it interacts with the overall gumbo flavor. After completing the gumbo, Jacquelyn Kirkland takes pleasure in seeing that she has successfully met the challenge of a particularly difficult dish.