Winner will appear in Taste of Home magazine, cook with Carla Hall, and take home $25,000
I’ve been cooking since 14, but The Smoked Soul is more than time. It’s Texas fire, bold flavour, and making every table feel like freedom.
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My signature dish is a citrus-marinated, fire-kissed tri-tip layered with orange, lime, ancho, guajillo, garlic, serrano, cilantro, and a touch of agave. It’s seared hard over screaming heat, rested, sliced, and finished with fresh cilantro, garlic chips, lime, hand-pressed tortillas, smoked flake salt, and a bold Southwestern chopped salad. Smoke, char, acid, heat, and soul on one plate.
Who is your culinary inspiration?My inspiration comes from a life of struggle. I grew up with nothing, cast aside, and found my way. At 14, a foster mother who cooked everything from scratch showed me care I never knew. After she passed, I realized food was my voice. Cooking is where I am heard. Every dish is a chance to connect, to be seen, and to make others feel less alone.
What would you do with the $25,000?With $25,000, I would grow The Smoked Soul, my Texas-rooted culinary brand that brings people together through flavour and fire. I would use it to stabilize after challenges, support my recovery, and build new experiences. I want to create meals and events that give others the same sense of connection and voice that cooking gave me.
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