My Culinary Journey

My love for cooking runs deep—over 35 years deep. I grew up in a Southern household where every meal was homemade and shared around the table. Food wasn’t just sustenance; it was love, tradition, and connection. Those early lessons from my mother and grandmother shaped not only how I cook, but why I cook.

My passion truly deepened in my early twenties when I began hosting family gatherings and community events. There’s something magical about feeding people you love, and I quickly discovered that cooking for crowds brought me immense joy. Over the decades, I’ve honed my skills not just through practice, but through formal education—completing multiple home cooking, baking, and food safety certification courses through local extension programs. These courses gave me the technical foundation to understand the science behind successful recipes.

While I’ve never worked in a formal restaurant setting, I’ve spent over three decades cooking for large family reunions, church events, and private home gatherings here in Kentucky. When you’ve prepared Sunday dinner for 30 people or coordinated a church potluck that feeds an entire congregation, you learn what recipes truly work, what techniques save time, and what dishes people ask for year after year.

Before dedicating myself full-time to recipe development and food blogging, I worked for many years in administrative support and community program coordination, helping organize local events and family-focused initiatives. Those roles taught me organization, clear communication, and attention to detail—skills that directly translate into creating recipes that are thorough, well-tested, and easy to follow.

Why I Started CloverCuisine

I launched CloverCuisine.com in 2018 with a clear mission: to preserve traditional recipes and share dependable, home-tested meals with a wider audience. After 35 years of cooking for my family and community, I had accumulated a treasure trove of recipes that consistently earned praise and requests. More importantly, I recognized that many traditional Southern recipes were being lost or altered beyond recognition, and I wanted to create a trusted resource where these classics would be honored and preserved.

What started as a passion project has grown into over 500 recipes, all tested in my Lexington kitchen and rooted in the traditions I hold dear.

What Makes CloverCuisine Different

My Specialty: I specialize in Southern comfort food, classic American dinners, casseroles, slow cooker meals, and traditional baking. My recipes celebrate the timeless dishes that define Southern hospitality—from creamy chicken and dumplings to perfect buttermilk biscuits, slow-simmered greens to mile-high coconut cake. These are the recipes that have fed families for generations, and I’m honored to share them.

My Cooking Philosophy: Tradition, simplicity, and reliability. I believe great food doesn’t need to be complicated—it just needs to be made with care and good ingredients. My recipes honor the wisdom of Southern cooks who came before us while ensuring every dish is achievable for today’s home cooks. When you make one of my recipes, you’re not just following instructions—you’re connecting to a rich culinary heritage.

Who I Cook For: I cook for my husband, visiting children, grandchildren, and extended family, often preparing meals for larger groups. My recipes are designed for home cooks aged 35–70+ who love classic comfort meals and value traditional, dependable cooking. Whether you’re planning an everyday dinner or a holiday feast, these recipes deliver every time.

What You’ll Find Here

• Authentic Southern comfort food with deep roots in tradition
• Classic American dinners the whole family will love
• Time-tested casseroles perfect for potlucks and gatherings
• Slow cooker meals for easy, hands-off cooking
• Traditional Southern baking from biscuits to layer cakes
• Holiday and celebration recipes for special occasions
• Beginner-friendly instructions backed by 35+ years of experience

Every recipe on CloverCuisine has been carefully tested for consistency and written with clear, beginner-friendly instructions. Living in Lexington, Kentucky, I’m surrounded by strong food traditions, incredible local farmers’ markets, and seasonal produce that inspires my cooking. My 500+ recipe collection represents decades of cooking for the people I love most, and each one has earned its place through repeated success at my own table.

As a grandmother now, one of my greatest joys is teaching my grandchildren to cook and passing down the recipes that have fed our family for generations. CloverCuisine is my way of extending that gift beyond my own kitchen—preserving these traditions and making them accessible to home cooks everywhere.

Let’s Connect

I love hearing from fellow Southern food enthusiasts and traditional home cooks! Whether you’ve tried one of my recipes, have a question about Southern cooking techniques, or just want to share your own family traditions, I’d be delighted to hear from you.

Email: [email protected]
Pinterest: pinterest.com/clovercuisine

Follow along on Pinterest for daily recipe inspiration, Southern cooking wisdom, and time-honored traditions from my Lexington kitchen.

Thank you for being part of the CloverCuisine community. I’m so glad you’re here.

— Michelle Mitchell
Creator & Recipe Developer
CloverCuisine.com
Lexington, Kentucky