Courtesy photo.

Look Who’s Cooking is an occasional series highlighting exceptional home cooks in The Roanoke Times coverage area. If you’d like to nominate a cook, email lindsey.nair@roanoke.com.

Name: Cathy Crawford

Age: 52

Home: Roanoke

Occupation: Partner at Circa Homes, LLC; landscape gardener.

Nominated by: Friend Beth Macy, who is a reporter for The Roanoke Times, wrote: “Everything [Cathy makes] is really healthy but just bursting with flavor. I’m telling you, there’s nothing she can’t cook to perfection. And a lot of her food comes from her own garden.”

Why I love cooking: Two top reasons: I love to eat; I love to share what I eat.

But also, I love the sensual experience of creating something delicious — the chop, chop, chop of onions on the cutting board, their sizzle in the pan with fragrant herbs and spices; shiny red tomatoes, bright green kale, creamy white grits; the heavy eggplant peel falling away and plopping into the sink, destined for the compost; the sharpness or creaminess playing off a tasting spoon. Finally, I love the challenge of seeing what’s available in my pantry (and garden) and then imagining ways to combine them into a great meal.

To continue reading about Cathy, click here.

Click the links to see Cathy’s recipes for:

Belize-inspired Stew
Beans and Rice