Alyssa's culinary style is traditional southern. Those roots run deep, and started early. Standing in a chair or sitting on the counter to help crack eggs or stir something on the stove were just part of everyday life when Alyssa was too small to reach.

She started cooking because it was something to do with her mom. It brought her so much joy to help her mom cook, then watch her family gather around the table for supper. Now on her own as a college student, not much changed. She still cooks weekly for friends who gather around her table.

When she's not gathering friends around a table, she's partial to a good picnic. Some of her favorite spots are on top of a parking deck on campus, at the Iron Horse farm just outside of Athens and at Watson Mill Bridge State Park.

Go-to Weeknight Meal: Soup—of any kind

Favorite Indulgence: Frozen Reeses Cups

Top Local Restaurant: Taziki's

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