Douglas Norton

Connect What is your signature dish?

My signature dish is my tagliatelle bolognese. I'm confident after years of R&D (much to my wife's delight) that the secret to the perfect bolognese isn’t a secret at all, but rather simple ingredients and mastering proper technique. Liquid evaporation, flavor and fat infusion, and a perfect carmelization make this meat forward sauce the best it can be.

Who is your culinary inspiration?

My dad was a single dad and he is my culinary inspiration. Making fresh, healthy and homemade dinner for me every night was a point of pride for him, and he still has a book filled with printed out recipes from my childhood in his kitchen. We've even made the exact same green bean casserole for Thanksgiving for almost 30 years on his insistance. He's not the best chef, but he taught me the value of perseverance, patience and hard work inside and outside the kitchen. And love most of all.

What would you do with the $25,000?

After years of experience in the service industry, my wife and I decided to open a home bakery a few years ago called Black Cat Baking Co. We have since moved to Greenville, SC and now that we are established in our home, we would love to cement ourselves in our community by opening a brick and mortor store, and would use the $25,000 towards that.