Julian “Jules” Hart
Plant-Loving Chef, Storyteller & Shutterbug Stirring Global Flavor Into Everyday Meals
I’m Julian “Jules” Hart
Yes, the last name is real, though my friends joke it fits my habit of pouring a little extra affection into every plate. I live in New Orleans with the woman who raised me, my indomitable grandmother Lucille “Mama Lu” Hart, in a shotgun house half swallowed by potted herbs. There’s Thai basil curling around the porch rail, lemon verbena perfuming the kitchen window, and a stubborn fig that sneak-frames most of my photos—because plants, cooking, and photography have always been the three notes of my personal chord.
These days I run Hart & Soul Kitchen, a blog where I write, shoot, and test recipes for everyone from first-time roux-stirrers to industry pros searching for new sparks. You’ll find me typing in garden gloves, camera dangling, as a pot of gumbo murmurs nearby. Writing is how I sort the flavors in my head; the shutter is how I bottle light; the stovetop is where everything finally makes sense.
Julian Hart
Experience
I earned my chops on the road. At twenty-two I landed in Dubai, folding date syrup and ras el hanout into my hometown praline glaze. A season in Chiang Mai followed, pounding green papaya for som tam until my shoulders sang. Marrakech taught me to trust preserved lemons and rose petals; Provence whispered lavender into my étouffée; San Sebastián drilled pintxo precision into my fingertips. Somewhere between flights I slipped into the International Bachelor Program of Culinary Arts at National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism in Taiwan an unassuming campus where fermentation labs turned me into a koji-loving mad scientist.
Those travels have shaped my cooking ever since, but every path loops back to Mama Lu’s kitchen. Together we test “heritage remixes”: green-cardamom beignets, holy-basil gumbo, or mahia-kissed pecan pie. If she nods (or cackles), the recipe earns its photo shoot—usually styled with a rogue sprig of rosemary edging into the frame—and a story on the blog.
To the women reading this—especially those fabulously juggling careers, families, and self-care in the 35-to-50 sweet spot—know that I see you. My recipes are timed so dinner hits the table before homework cries or your next Zoom call; my step-by-step photos break big flavors into small, doable moves. I learned resilience from Mama Lu, a single parent before the term was trendy, and I hope each post hands you a spoonful of that same steady joy.
So come on in. Breathe the steam, spot the plants, and let the camera flash catch your own victories. Stir slow, taste often, and remember: every dish has a beating Hart.