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Erica Barrett learned early on that there is an art - and a science - to cooking. The art she gleaned from her stepfather, a man who grew up in rural Pine Hill, Alabama and could cook up a mean pepper steak. The science she learned vicariously from superstar chef Alton Brown, whose recipes she practiced relentlessly until she perfected each and every one. Today, as a chef, entrepreneur and food personality, Barrett applies both disciplines as she continues to build her flourishing brand, Southern Culture Foods, into not only a business empire but a cultural experience as well. And people are taking notice. Southern Culture has made its rounds on the small screen (Shark Tank, Good Morning America, The View) and in the media (Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, Essence Magazine, O Magazine, the Atlanta Journal Constitution). The company was recognized as a 2015 Sofi finalist and was included on Oprah's 2016 List of Favorite Things. Rooted in Barrett's Mobile, Alabama upbringing, Southern Culture Foods is known domestically and internationally for its pancake and waffle mixes, maple syrups, flavored bacon and chicken rubs and flavored grits. All recipes - some of which are non-dairy and non-GMO - are inspired by a passion for cooking that sprouted long before Barrett reached double digits. I discovered my love for cooking at the age of nine, she says. I would spend weekends at my grandmother's house and she would always cook. I became very curious and started reading her cookbooks every weekend. But of all the recipes that she read, of all the dishes that she prepared - it was the breakfast foods that she truly enjoyed bringing to the table. The very first meal I ever cooked was breakfast, she recalls. I made bacon and scrambled eggs. It was horrible because I put garlic salt in my eggs. That was my first mistake in the kitchen, but I learned quickly the importance of seasoning and flavoring food. A 2004 graduate of Clark Atlanta University with a BA in Business Finance and a graduate of the International Culinary Center with a diploma in Culinary Entrepreneurship, Barrett was inspired to pursue her dream of being a professional chef in 2010 after winning the grand prize in a video contest sponsored by foodnetwork.com and Lea and Perrins. I won $10,000 in that contest and it blew my mind, she recalls. I knew then that I had natural talent and that I should use it. Though the contest piqued her interest in pursuing culinary arts as a profession, Barrett always knew she would be an entrepreneur. It was, after all, in her blood. My mom had me at the age of 17 and she became a hairstylist to support me and my sister, she says. She was my first great example of an entrepreneur. She owned one of the most thriving hair salons in our city. She worked long hours and my deal with her when I turned 12 was that I would cook for me and my sister if she let us stay home on the weekends and watch TV. Barrett eventually started making meals to sell to her mom's customers and when she matriculated at Clark Atlanta University, she earned extra money by preparing and selling Sunday dinners for her fellow co-eds. It was a lot of work, but it was my way of keeping my passion alive. Barrett plans to couple her passion with her culinary skills and business acumen to expand her brand and, as always, she'll do it in her own unique way. What separates me from other chefs is that I'm not just a chef. I'm a highly skilled designer of consumer brand food products. I spend just as much time on design and aesthetics as I do food and formulating recipes. So not only do I know how to cook, but I understand every aspect of running a fast-paced food business.

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