1,500 miles –that’s what the food you might be eating tonight traveled to make it to your plate. The fuel costs of that is one reason there’s a big push to eat local. Today in chef’s corner, a top chef master shares a few of her not-so-long distance delights.

Featured nationally as a contestant on Top Chef Masters and trained internationally in London, award-winning chef, Monica Pope is all about local.

She cooks mainly with what she buys at her hometown farmers’ markets.
Pope says if you want to go local, start off simple. She recommends cooking two meals with local ingredients a week. That usually includes food grown or raised within 200 miles of where you live. If you want to shop your local farmers' market, just head to downtown Shreveport where the festival plaza will be on Saturdays this summer.