Winner will appear in Taste of Home magazine, cook with Carla Hall, and take home $25,000
Help me bring Sensual Soirée dinners to life—where food, confidence, and connection inspire women to savor life and love.
Want to learn more about our competition?
Learn MoreWant to be notified if their position changes?
Receive Text Updates
My signature dish is really a signature experience. I love creating soulful, sensual comfort food that brings people together—from pasta with broccoli rabe and sausage to crispy soft-shell crabs and oyster BLTs. My cooking is about flavor, connection, joy, and making people feel nourished, celebrated, and fully alive.
Who is your culinary inspiration?My Godmother is my greatest culinary inspiration. I’ve loved cooking since I was 9 years old, watching her create beautiful meals for her seven children with so much love, creativity, and flavor. Her food was never boring—she used spices and combinations people wouldn’t expect, and somehow made every meal feel special. She taught me that cooking is about more than food—it’s about love, connection, and joy around the table.
What would you do with the $25,000?I would use the $25,000 to help launch my Sensual Soirée dinner experiences—luxurious, soul-nourishing gatherings where food, confidence, and connection empower women to savor life fully. These intimate evenings are designed to inspire joy, self-worth, meaningful conversation, and feminine power through beautiful food and unforgettable experiences.
Vote for Kacy Duke to be the next Favorite Chef while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting the James Beard Foundation and their mission to lead chefs and the broader culinary industry toward a new standard of excellence.
