A recipe for better health

Donated food can sometimes go unused, not because people don’t need it, but because they aren’t sure how to prepare it or incorporate it into their lives. For Grace Hong, a third-year medical student, a comment from Feed Louisville during their Introduction to Clinical Medicine class sparked a different way of thinking about nutrition: improving health requires more than providing food. It requires an understanding about what people already enjoy eating and making healthy choices feel practical, familiar and meaningful.  

That idea became Soul in the West End, a community cookbook project created by Hong and fellow medical student Temi Haastrup, in partnership with West Louisville residents. Since the project’s inception, Hong and Haastrup have been mentored by Dwayne Compton, senior associate dean for community engagement, as they have developed the initiative and built relationships with community partners. Rather than arriving with a predetermined plan for what healthy eating should look like, the students began by listening to community members about the dishes they actually prepare - recipes passed down through generations, perfected for potlucks and woven into memories, celebrations and family traditions.  

These conversations became the foundation for the cookbook. With the help of local chefs, nutritionists and physicians, the team developed healthier adaptations while preserving what made each dish authentic. The process was guided by a simple principle: community members are experts in their own lives. 

For Hong, that principle has changed the way she thinks about health and her future as a physician. “Healthy eating doesn’t mean overhauling people’s entire diet or asking someone to give up the foods they love. Most of the time, this just means making small decisions that are sustainable to their lifestyle,” shared Hong. “As a future physician, I want to begin by listening and understanding what matters to each patient rather than simply prescribing the same thing over and over again.” 

Along the way, the project found itself collecting more than recipes; it found stories. 

There was the man who proudly described his meatloaf --and cooking -- as “thunder.” There were award-winning church potluck recipes and the story of someone who once washed a turkey in a washing machine. Each story offered another glimpse into the people, traditions and humor that make up the community, creating a picture of the city we often don’t see. 

For Hong, who is from out of state, those stories offered a fuller picture of West Louisville than the statistics and challenges that often define the neighborhood from the outside. “West Louisville faces challenges, but it is also shaped by ingenuity, family traditions and a deep sense of community pride that brings people together.” 

It was these stories and unique perspectives that fed the heart of Soul in the West End. The project recognizes that health is impacted by more than just what happens inside a doctor’s office. Cost, transportation, time, neighborhood food availability and family responsibilities can all influence what ends up on someone’s plate.  

Hong hopes the cookbook will celebrate and preserve the food, culture, stories and traditions of West Louisville while also helping readers better understand the community. For residents, she hopes it inspires pride in what their families have cultivated and passed down. For those outside the community, she hopes it offers a fuller perspective and helps bridge the social and economic divide between East and West Louisville through something as universal as food. 

The students also envision Soul in the West End as the foundation for a sustainable Food as Medicine initiative shaped by community members and local organizations through cooking education, health programming, continued recipe updates, and ongoing contributions to Louisville’s evolving food story. The project honors soul food as a heritage rooted in nourishment, creativity, history and resilience, while highlighting how health-conscious adaptations can grow from within the community’s own cultural traditions. 

The project has challenged Hong to rethink her role in medicine by pushing her into unfamiliar territory. As the initiative has grown, she has completed grant writing, production and business planning, operational logistics, and ongoing management of multiple workstreams. Much of this work has also required building trust, communicating the vision, and inviting partners and community members to shape and contribute to the project over time. But its most important lesson has been much simpler: physicians don’t always have to enter the room with answers and solutions. Sometimes they just need to listen. 

“Soul in the West End has shown me that physicians can contribute beyond the clinic by listening to communities, building long-term partnerships and helping translate health information into resources that fit people’s everyday lives (and needs),” said Hong. “I hope to become a physician who works alongside people to create practical and culturally meaningful solutions.”  

Soul in the West End is currently in development with the team hoping to release the cookbook within the next year. Information about purchasing the book, community distribution and upcoming events will be shared as the project moves closer to publication.