Howdy! I’m Erin Parker.
Nice to meet you! I’m the self-taught recipe developer, food photographer and founder of The Speckled Palate. I launched The Speckled Palate in 2011, and in the years since, I’ve published more than 750 recipes, including many Southern and Louisiana-inspired dishes, for an audience of millions.
For the past 15 years, I have hosted the Sweetest Season Cookie Exchange, a virtual cookie exchange for food bloggers that celebrates making holiday cookies and benefits Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.
My work has been featured in Oprah Daily, Woman’s World magazine, ABC’s The Chew and more.
More about me…
I live in Austin, Tex., with my husband, our two daughters and our dog, Dove. (She also has a speckled palate.)
Education. I graduated with a BA in Print Journalism and a minor in fine art photography from Louisiana State University in 2008.
Professional experience. I worked full-time as a photojournalist for years, documenting the news, as well as arts and entertainment for local newspapers and magazines.
Food. I cooked with family as a kid, but we didn’t have a lot of written-down recipes. In college, I began tinkering in the kitchen, writing down what I was doing and learning through a LOT of trial and error. Throughout the last 15 years, I have actively developed, tested, perfected and photographed hundreds of recipes.
Breaking it down in numbers…
recipes developed
years writing recipes, photographing recipes and running tsp
readers in 2025
years hosting the sweetest season cookie exchange
My food philosophy:
Everything is OK in moderation and life is too short not to enjoy every kind of food we can get our hands on.
That’s the philosophy behind everything I share here: from Southern and Louisiana classics to easy weeknight dinners to a holiday cookie or two… I’m all about fresh and seasonal ingredients, simple entertaining that celebrates connection (not perfection) and meals made with intention.
These are a few of my favorite things…
drink
Holiday
Thanksgiving
My foodie origin story:
I wasn’t much of a kitchen diva growing up. My family cooked and we enjoyed great food, but we didn’t really have written-down recipes. We definitely didn’t have Southern recipes that we made at home because my parents are from Appalachia. So I lent a hand when asked and was assigned Hershey’s Kiss duty for holiday baking every year, but I never felt a connection to the kitchen until I went to college in Louisiana… and didn’t have one of my own.
During that time, I started watching the Food Network.
Around the same time, I fell in love with cooking when I realized I could make dishes better than the dining hall. And I fell deeper in love when I realized cooking and baking are a fantastic way to bring friends together. (Because, let’s be honest, who likes to cook for just themselves? Not me.)
My entertaining origin story:
A few friends and I had a rotating dinner party on Sundays during my last year of college. I looked forward to those evenings because they were spent in the kitchen and around the table with people I genuinely enjoyed.
I learned how to make new dishes from my friends, and we tried different things together as a group, and it was just so much fun.
However, it took having two kids for me to realize that I need that connection to feel like myself.
After our second daughter was born, I realized that low-key entertaining was not only a “thing,” but it was incredibly fulfilling. I was interacting with friends and getting a breath of fresh air in the form of socialization. My kids were, too. And I was opening up my home to people who mattered to me.
Hosting makes me exceedingly happy and helps to reconnect with those that matter to me most. I want to help you do this, too! And I talk about my philosophy and why this is so important to me in the post How to Entertain as a Mom.
A few fun facts about me:
- Recipe testers: My husband, Winston, and our two daughters are my taste-testers. We eat every recipe shared here. I wouldn’t share something with y’all I didn’t personally enjoy, and I strive to create fun and delicious new recipes weekly.
- Sports! I love cheering on my LSU Tigers during football, basketball, and baseball season. I don’t want to talk about our current coaching situation, though. I love cheering for the Dallas Stars, as well.
- Snacks of choice: Dark chocolate pretzels and dark chocolate almonds have always been a favorite.
- Movement: When I started TSP, I was a runner. Nowadays, I prefer lifting heavy weights.
- Food dislikes: Cilantro and I are NOT friends. It’s not for lack of trying. Same thing with goat cheese and mushrooms.
- Writing quirks: I worked in journalism for years. I doubt I will ever stop using AP Style because it was so engrained in me.
Keep in touch!
I love hearing from readers! Feel free to shoot me an e-mail at erin [at] thespeckledpalate.com.
If you have a specific question, check out my FAQs. I do my best to respond to every e-mail and comment in a timely manner, but sometimes, comments and e-mails get lost. The best chance of me responding to you, especially if you have a question about a recipe, is commenting on the post.
If you’re a brand and would like to work together, check out my Work With Me page.