Andrea LeTard

Andrea LeTard is the creator and author of Andrea's Cooktales: A Keepsake Cookbook. She also offers services as a personal chef, small party caterer, and cooking instructor. Andrea has been featured on Cooking Channel, Today Show, and Local Memphis Live. She was chosen as a Top 100 Contestant on MasterChef Season 6. Follow Andrea on Facebook, Instagram (@andreas_cooktales), and her video blog series at andreascooktales.com.

Andrea is a self-taught cook, turned professional chef, so her recipes come from the point of view of a home cook, so the ingredients and directions are very relatable and easy to follow along. Her recipes are what she calls "next-generation southern" - fun and fundamentally southern with a modern twist using fine, fresh, and sometimes unique (but easy to find) ingredients.

She says of Andrea's Cooktales, "This book is for every home cook who enjoys eating clean and healthy but also likes a splurge every now and again. I'd say the recipes are part healthy, part naughty. Some are for quick weekday meals, while others are perfect for a loungey weekend at home. Some are easy as pie, while others are a bit challenging (but I promise, not hard) for when you want to test your skills in the kitchen."