I was born and raised in Marvell, Arkansas, a rural community with a population of about 1900. Living in the country back then was a lot different than living in the country now. I went to a country school where one teacher taught eight grades in a small Sunday school classroom. My good friend and classmate, Levon Helm, also attended that school and we would walk to school together every day. We also had another good friend, Mary Cavette, who lived near Levon, but attended another school in Marvell.

Mary, Levon and I grew up the closest of friends and even though none of us were related, we have always treated each other like brother and sisters. I am often asked "How long have I known Levon?", which my replay has always been, "I do not remember a time of not knowing Mary and Levon, because we have been together all out lives."

After we graduated from high school we each went our separate ways to pursue our interests. Before you knew it, we were all married and living in different cities. Regardless of the miles between us, we always kept in touch and remained close friends. Any time Levon and The Band were in our neck of the woods, Mary and I would always cook meals for them.

I decided last year to write a cookbook of all my favorite recipes because my daughter had asked me for one as a Christmas gift. I had been saving recipes for years for both Annette and Amy with every intention of sharing my secrets with my daughters. One day, Annette suggested that since I've been cooking for Levon and his band members for so long, maybe Levon's fans would also appreciate my recipes. At Levon's encouragement I moved from Arkansas to Woodstock, New York, just so I could create this cookbook. My home cooked meals have been greatly appreciated by all the musicians and staff working at Levon's Midnight Rambles. I hope that Levon's fans feel the same after trying these recipes!