Hey! We’re Marrekus and Krysten, the husband and wife team behind Cooks with Soul. Here you’ll find hundreds of Southern recipes, many of which have been passed down through multiple generations. From soul food to barbecue to Creole and Cajun cuisine, each of these recipes tell a story and represent a piece of who we are and where we came from.

Marrekus is a Tennessee native and Air Force retiree who loves to cook soul food, comfort food, and barbecue recipes. Growing up, he spent his summers in rural Mississippi on his granddad’s land, so he’s all about those classic Southern soul food dishes like collard greens, butter beans, ribs, fried fish, and BBQ spaghetti.

Krysten is the photographer and food writer behind the blog. Although she’s a city girl who grew up on the west coast, she loves soul food. Some of her favorite recipes that you’ll find on the blog include peach cobbler, caramel cake, Louisiana red beans and rice and Gouda macaroni and cheese.

You can find our recipes and photography at BuzzFeed, POPSUGAR, Food 52, Eating Well, SELF, and Country Living, and many more.

We have also partnered with several brands to develop hundreds of original recipes and print media photography including Vrbo, Char-Broil, Filippo Berio, Victoria Fine Foods, Maille, Litehouse Foods, Castello Cheese, and Yellowstone Bourbon.