Featured Chef-Tyler Florence Thanksgiving Challenge
Thanksgiving is all about family and big feast. In celebration of his new book, Tyler Florence gave away his newest cook book “Family Meal” to one winning recipe. We received many entries, from Pumpkin Praline Ice-cream, to Pumpkin Pot Soup, from California Golden Stuffing to Homemade Cranberry Sauce with White Wine. The recipe that won is Spiced Pumpkin and Banana Cream Whoopie Pies by Chef Amrecipes. Here’s her story about her winning recipe and she shares with us some of her cooking tips! She also writes a food blog called Alternative Tastes.
How old were you when you first started cooking and what was the first dish you made?
I’m a 40-ish Foodie who loves creating new and unique recipes. I started cooking early growing up because both my mom and dad both worked. Even though early dishes weren’t so much as cooking as opening up a can and heating up on the stove; so soup probably was my first dish I cooked for me and my little brother who always wanted a snack once we got home from school. Later, I was helping and then cooking on my own for family dinners. We loved cooking spaghetti at our house. I used to love creating new varieties of meatloaf.
What’s the inspiration behind your Spiced Pumpkin and Banana Cream Whoopie Pies?
Martha Stewart made whoopie pies earlier in the year and they looked so great, I wanted to try a recipe that was similar but with the flavors I wanted to have in my recipe. Click here to see the winning recipe!
What does cooking mean to you and what are your fave dishes to cook?
I love pasta dishes and those are probably the most fixed in our house. We love seafood, so shrimp is usually on top of the pasta somehow.
I’m definitely more a cook than a baker. If it’s baking, it’s usually a little more unique recipe. Cooking means that I can be creative. I usually have a taste tester around to tell me how they like it.
Do you have any time-saving / budget-friendly cooking tips to share with other home cooks?
Freeze what garden vegetables you can to use throughout the year. Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore. I also love to go to the library and check out cook books. You can also share and take magazines in the library’s recycle boxes.
What are the kitchen tools / appliances that you can’t live without?
My hand mixer is such a plus and I just acquired a new one. I couldn’t live without my microwave oven. Wow, such an invention. I remember having one when I was growing up and it was such a new and exciting appliance. It’s still that way with me. I love to try and see if I can “rush” the cooking by cooking things in the microwave and THEN moving them to the oven.
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