I was born in Albany, Georgia, but before I was a year old, my family moved to San Angelo, Texas, where my father was stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base. When my parents divorced, my bargain-hunting mother had me take advantage of the fact that I still had the base privileges that she had lost; she handed me cash and a list every week and took me to the commissary to shop for the whole family. If I came under budget and got everything on the list, I could splurge on something for myself. (I was 8 and loved every minute of it. When a bag boy followed me out to the car that first time, before he saw my waiting mother, he quipped, "Don't tell me you drive, too.")

My Indiana-born mom also nurtured my cooking bug -- indulging me when I demanded to use her stand mixer to whip the cream and mash the potatoes, and letting my good-old-boy-Texan stepfather teach me to make my first real dish: chicken-fried steak.

Fast-forward a few decades, and I love to make my own corn tortillas and pizza dough, cook dinner for friends and my husband every chance I get, and help watch over a goofy lab/hound mix, Roscoe, and a mischievous cat, Nelson.

I'm also Food and Dining editor for The Washington Post, where I write the regular Weeknight Vegetarian column. Back when I was single, I wrote a column that inspired my first book, "Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One" (Ten Speed Press, 2011). While transitioning to a plant-based diet, I followed it up with "Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook" (Ten Speed Press, 2013), written while I spent a year on my sister and brother-in-law's Maine homestead, where they grow all their own food. I also edited "America The Great Cookbook," a beautiful compendium of photo-portraits and recipes from chefs and other food heroes from around the country, and a benefit for the wonderful charity No Kid Hungry. In it, we show the awesome diversity of the American food scene.

I've won awards for writing and editing from the James Beard Foundation, Association of Food Journalists, International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Society of American Travel Writers, and my work has been featured multiple times in the "Best Food Writing" anthology.

My latest book is "Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World’s Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes," an ode to my favorite ingredient, one I think could be important in helping feed a growing planet. What other source of such nutrition is as affordable, shelf-stable and versatile? I hope you love it.

Matt Armendariz is a photographer, creative director, stylist and author based in Los Angeles, California. When he's not behind the camera, you can find him in his garden, having a cocktail with friends, and teaching Zumba classes!