Thirteen years ago this month, I sat down to write my very first food column for the Statesboro Herald. I was a down-home Georgia girl with a passion for Southern, coastal cuisine and a two-year-old blog that served as my little corner of the internet. Grateful for small-town America and fueled by big dreams, I just needed a place to start.
I’d like to say a special thanks to the Herald team members who helped bring me on, championed my voice, and laid out my column in those early days – Jim Healy, Jason Wermers, Linsay Cheney Rudd and Angye Morrison. Though some have moved on, I’ll never forget your impact. In the publishing world, credibility is everything, and this newspaper gave me a voice when I needed it most. It was a foundational stepping stone in a culinary story that is still being written today.
Over the last decade and a half, this column has grown into so much more than a monthly collection of cooking tips and recipes. It has become a living scrapbook of my life, a shared kitchen table where we have celebrated some of my wildest milestones together.
Through these pages, I got to announce “My Taste of Hollywood” when I was cast to compete on ABC’s The Taste. Together, we celebrated launching my YouTube channel, navigated the uncertainty of 2020 by swapping quarantine comfort food recipes, and traveled the world through restaurant reviews.
But if you were to ask me what the absolute most rewarding part of being your food columnist is, it isn’t the accolades or the milestones. It is the deep, enduring connection to this community.
My cup is continuously filled by the emails and messages I receive from you, the readers. I still think of Susan, who sent a heartfelt note sharing that my three-ingredient biscuit recipe resulted in the first successful batch of biscuits she had ever made in her life. I think of Jeb, who was heading up Savannah’s local farmers market at the time, who reached out to say that I had represented “us” well on national television when I competed on Food Network Star.
And then there are the serendipitous, everyday moments out and about in the community. Whether I am browsing the cookbook section at Barnes & Noble, refilling my iced tea at Panera Bread, walking on the treadmill at the gym, or unwinding downtown, inevitably someone will smile and say, “Hey, I read your column!”
Every single time that happens, it touches my heart. Thank you for cheering me on, for trusting me with your family dinners, and for welcoming me into your homes and kitchens for 13 wonderful years.
Because of the support and credibility sprouted right here in Statesboro, I have been able to take my brand, Some Kinda Good®, to places I only used to dream of. I’ve gone from a girl with a local blog to competing on two national reality cooking shows, graduating with honors from culinary school, becoming a five-star private chef, and publishing two bestselling books.
Early on, I was deeply inspired by a Julia Child quote that became my personal compass: “Find something you're passionate about, and keep tremendously interested in it.”
I took that advice to heart. Because I did, I can look back at this 13-year journey and say—with immense gratitude and a little bit of awe—that the late Anthony Bourdain once ate my shrimp and grits, and Paula Deen literally buttered my biscuits.
If this column stands for anything after 13 years, I hope it serves as your weekly reminder to live your dreams out loud and to relentlessly go after the things that set your soul on fire.
To the Statesboro Herald, to Jim, and most importantly, to you, my dear readers: Thank you for 13 unforgettable years. My apron is on, my kitchen is open, and I can't wait to see what we cook up next.
Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a private chef, speaker, culinary TV personality, and author. Featured in Forbes, on ABC and Food Network, she is a Georgia Southern University alumna and an honors graduate of the Savannah Culinary Institute. Visit RebekahLingenfelser.com, like Some Kinda Good on Facebook or follow @SKGFoodBlog on Instagram and YouTube.