Contributors

Writer and Photographer
Kevin Rabalais
Kevin Rabalais, an Avoyelles Parish native, writes and photographs the Natural State series for Louisiana Life. After living for more than a decade in Europe and the South Pacific, he is excited to be back home and to document diverse Louisiana stories. His work has appeared in 64 Parishes, The Australian, the New Zealand Listener, and the Argentine magazine Revista Ñ. He teaches in the Department of English at Loyola University New Orleans.

Cheré Dastugue Coen
Writer
Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer, photographer and author and owner of the whimsical blog, “Weird, Wacky & Wild South.” Her fiction includes two series of Louisiana romances and the “Viola Valentine” paranormal mystery series under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Coen remains passionate about her home state of Louisiana, believing that gumbo, crawfish étouffée and chicory coffee makes all things right with the world.

Stanley Dry
Food Writer
Stanley Dry writes the “Kitchen Gourmet” column for Louisiana Life magazine and is author of The Essential Louisiana Cookbook and The Essential Louisiana Seafood Cookbook and co-author of Gulf South. Formerly senior editor of Food & Wine and founding editor of Louisiana Cookin’ magazine, his articles have appeared in Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Boston Magazine and Acadiana Profile, among others.

Haylei Smith
Home Photographer
When history, design, art and culture come together to create a home, that’s when Haylie Smith is most inspired. There are many stories to be told and so much life lived behind the the four walls of “that one house” we get a curious glimpse of when passing from the street. That’s why Smith says she loves getting to explore the homes she documents. The Texas native moved to Louisiana about 8 years ago. She is a graduate of the Art Institute and quickly realized her love for photographing interiors. Follow on Instagram @Haylei_Smith

Eugenia Uhl
Food Photographer
Eugenia Uhl’s photographs have been featured in New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, Southern Accents, Metropolitan Home, GQ Magazine, Essence, Travel & Leisure and Vegetarian Times. Her clients include Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, International House Hotel, Volunteers of America, Galatoire’s and Tulane University. She has completed multiple cookbooks, including Commander’s Kitchen for Commander’s Palace and New Orleans Home Cooking by Dale Curry, Pelican Publishing.