Shannon Fitzgerald, Louisville Lady Gourmet
When folks at Insider Louisville started chatting about wanting more food articles, I didn’t even wait for them to finish their sentences.
“I’ve got this,” I said. “I’ve totally got the lady for you.”
Specifically, the Louisville Lady Gourmet.
So I immediately dashed off an email to Shannon Fitzgerald and waited impatiently for her reply, fingers crossed that she hadn’t already been snatched up by another news organization. After all, Ashlee Clark Thompson, of the fantastic restaurant blog Ashlee Eats, has already inked partnerships with Consuming Louisville and recently WFPL for her food and restaurant coverage.
From Fitzgerald’s bio:
Shannon Fitzgerald is a vitalist in love with her hometown. She has an insatiable appetite for the world around her, which subsequently encourages culinary experimentation and traveling (usually with the objective of making new friends in their kitchens!). After quite a bit of world travel, Louisville continues to provide this Lady Gourmet with depths of inspiration from serious Southern vittles to the breadth of world cuisine available in our fair city. You can find her on Insider Louisville, on her own food blog, or at the table next to you feasting on Louisville’s epicurean treasures.
Insider Louisville readers can look forward to seeing recipes and food news from Fitzgerald twice a week.
I asked the Louisville Lady Gourmet to send me a little biographical information, so I could maybe spin it into a nice little article. Instead, I’m just going to share with you what Fitzgerald sent to me. She’s a heck of a writer. We’re in for good stuff from her:
I was born in Texas and have family scattered between Texas and South Carolina, so the Southern food tradition runs deep in my roots. My family moved here from Colorado when I was seven, so I wholeheartedly own the label of being a Louisvillian. I am a member of the first full graduating class of North Oldham High School. During that time I worked in the restaurant industry, giving me my first glimpses into the workings of a restaurant and cranking out tons of meals for hungry patrons.
I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Foreign Language and International Studies from Bellarmine University. I worked a summer on Martha’s Vineyard before I studied abroad, where I received training by a culinary school graduate and a graduate from patisserie school in Paris by working alongside them in their kitchen. My junior year, I had the opportunity to study German and Balkan Studies in Graz, Austria for a full academic year, as well as visit 16 European countries along the way.
My favorite trips have been oyster fishing in the Adriatic Sea in Montenegro; meeting people who made me feel at home in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; indulging in the best and most honest food in existence in Portugal; living the life of no pasa nada (no worries) in Spain, and meeting the love of my life at Oktoberfest in Munich. I’ll have to invite you over for dinner for some more stories!!
When I graduated, I decided to chase down my love for everything Spanish by teaching English in Andalusia (southern) Spain. I also had the opportunity to indulge my academic pursuits by living with my boyfriend “The Handsome Spaniard” in Barcelona, both the birthplace of all things I deem avant garde in cuisine, and the home of a great deal of my thesis research. I was able to volunteer with Intermón Oxfam during that time, where I learned much about fair trade and the true impact our purchases have on the wide world around us.
I am back in Louisville to pursue a career that feeds my passions and keeps me exploring in our lovely city. I continue my worldly pursuits by studying and performing with Flamenco Louisville–a greater group of performers and true friends cannot be found anywhere else. I also teach private lessons and small classes in German and Spanish with Los Monitos Language Center.
As for what I am doing at the moment, I am researching food (which is quite a habit of mine), looking for the newest ingredients, preparations, methods, and trying to see how I can bring that into my kitchen. Otherwise, I am seeking out the food culture of Louisville, and reveling in the fact I can walk down the street, follow a deliciously rich smell, enter a welcoming restaurant, and share the joy of someone who has just as much passion about food as I do!
On Tuesdays we’ll publish Fitzgerald’s recipes in our Juice section– these are her healthier recipes for readers who are more heart, weight, and health conscious.
On Fridays we’ll publish Fitzgerald’s own column “In the Kitchen,” which will feature more indulgent fare just in time for the weekend.
We’re so pleased that the Louisville Lady Gourmet will be sharing her passions with us!
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