About me
Married, mother/stepmom of 3 and grandmother of 3. Born in North Carolina while my father was in the military. When he retired we settled in his home state of Pennsylvania. I grew up eating many traditional PA Dutch foods as well as many traditional southern meals as my mother was born and raised in the coal mining hills of southern Kentucky.
I love to cook and make a variety of different types of food: Mexican, Italian, Chinese, my own spin on traditional southern dishes. I am learning to make some of the great PA Dutch recipes I grew up on.
Cooking Influences
My greatest cooking influences were my mom, Ruth Cox Speck and my paternal grandmother, Alice Hauck Speck.
My mother taught me to never give up when it comes to cooking. I never really knew my maternal grandmother, but everyone and I do mean everyone raved about her biscuits. My sister, who is 7 years old than I am, told me stories about mamaw making biscuits in the kitchen. My father loved them. My mother tried every Sunday to make them just like mamaw did and from what dad said, she came close many times. They were always good, but she wanted them just like her mom's. I have the recipe but it's just ingredients, no measurements. Still trying.
My paternal grandmother watched me every day after school until my parents got off work when I was in kindergarten and first grade. Chicken corn soup, cinnamon sugar bread, her cookies, roasted chicken, pickled eggs and beets. Just a few items I remember her making.
United States Chef
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