Lana Stuart

Lana Stuart working at the computer.

Title: Founder of Lana’s Cooking
Location: Georgia, USA
Education: Self-taught Southern cook with a lifelong passion for traditional family recipes
Expertise: Southern comfort food, practical home cooking, and heritage recipe preservation

Lana Stuart is the founder of Lana’s Cooking, a seasoned food blogger, an award-winning cookbook author, and a trusted voice in Southern home cooking. Since launching her blog in 2009, Lana has focused on sharing the kind of food that brings comfort and connection to everyday life, whether it’s a simple weeknight supper or a holiday recipe passed down through generations. Her clear, approachable recipes and nostalgic storytelling have built a loyal community of readers who return for both the food and the heart behind it.

Experience

Lana started sharing recipes on Lana’s Cooking in 2009 as a way to preserve cherished family recipes. That quiet beginning has grown into a trusted resource for home cooks who want real food with real roots.

  • With over 16 years of experience in recipe development, food writing, and digital publishing, Lana has published hundreds of original recipes and seasonal resources for home cooks. Her work has been featured in Real Simple, Mashed, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CNN, Tea Time Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Gourmet Magazine, among many others.
  • In 2023, Lana published her debut cookbook, My Southern Table: Recipes from a Georgia Kitchen, a 247-recipe collection that captures the spirit of Southern cooking, from heritage dishes to current family favorites. The book is available at major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart, as well as directly through her shop.
  • Her content is viewed by more than 5 million home cooks every year through recipe tutorials, e-cookbooks, and her popular newsletter.
  • She has developed branded recipe content and campaigns for companies such as General Mills, Hormel, Simply Potatoes, Smithfield, and Pepperidge Farm on sponsored campaigns that reflect her commitment to authenticity and quality.
  • Lana’s practical voice, deep Southern roots, and consistent content have made her a respected figure in the food blogging space. Her approach balances tradition with accessibility, always encouraging home cooks to feel confident in the kitchen, whether they’re making a burger for Tuesday night dinner or trying their first batch of buttermilk biscuits from scratch.

A Few of Lana’s Favorite Southern Recipes

Finished fried chicken on a white serving platter.
Real Simple Southern Fried Chicken
A plate of fried okra with a spatula, whole okra pods, salt and pepper shakers, and a red checkered cloth nearby.
Southern Fried Okra
Baked buttermilk biscuits in a cast iron skillet on a wooden board.
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits
The sliced cake showing all the layers.
Chocolate Little Layer Cake

Professional Bio

Lana Stuart is a professional blogger, wife, mother, grandmother, and a 30-year veteran of the computer tech support industry. She is also a certified Memphis barbecue judge, a watercolor artist, and a bookbinder. Lana started blogging in 2009 as a way to record the vintage recipes she remembered from her South Georgia childhood, where her hometown and family formed the core of her love of southern food.

Many of the recipes on Lana’s Cooking reflect the culture and time in which the author grew up. Although traditional and updated southern cuisine forms the basis of Lana’s experience, her recipes are not limited to that style of cooking. She greatly enjoys exploring new trends and tackling fun challenges in the kitchen!