Winner will appear in Taste of Home magazine, cook with Carla Hall, and take home $25,000
My work combines Southern culinary traditions with modern techniques and locally sourced Gulf Coast ingredients
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I've never been completely comfortable naming a single signature dish because my cooking is driven more by a philosophy than by one recipe. I draw inspiration from Southern traditions, Gulf Coast ingredients, and techniques that allow familiar flavors to be experienced in new ways. Reflecting my approach to balancing creativity and practicality
Who is your culinary inspiration?I take inspiration from several chefs, from traditional techniques like that of Thomas Keller and others that push the flavor boundaries, such as Mandy Lee.
What would you do with the $25,000?My wife and I have recently started a baking business. At first baking was out of my comfort zone, but through repetition, it has become a very satisfying endeavor to expand my abilities with food. If I won the prize money, it would go toward growing my family business into something I know it can become. My true desire is to create something that I can pass down to my children and teach them things I was never taught myself.
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