Meet Aimee!

Aimee (left) and Carol (right) meet in
Knightdale, North Carolina!

I'm a 42 yr old single mom living in Raleigh, NC. I have a fantastic daughter, aged 6, and wonderful friends.  I don’t think I have any particular style of cooking and I KNOW I am surrounded by much better cooks in this fantastic group! Let’s just say I am competent, always learning, willing to take chances and try new things and I pick things up easily. I grew up with PA Dutch (German) and French food. I can make good, rib sticking meals that my mom always made and every holiday I make the traditional food we had growing up. I don’t think anyone really taught me how to cook. I sort of learned on my own out of necessity. I either lived at home or with a boyfriend who was a professional cook (very convenient!) so it wasn't until I met my ex-husband that I really had to learn how to cook because he certainly didn't know how! I'll never forget that first Thanksgiving turkey I butchered (and not in a good way). I don’t have any particular type of food I like to cook. I don’t do overcomplicated stuff either. Mostly because I don’t want to spend a lot of money on ingredients I’m going to potentially ruin!

Meet Sarah K!

That's me, Sarah, on the right!

Hello everyone! I'm Sarah, the creator of The Garden of Earthly Delights, a food-centric blog for which I write and photograph from my home in Toronto, Canada. 

The love for making, sharing and consuming good food was instilled in me from an early age, and part of my childhood was spent living in close proximity to maternal extended family, who are all incredibly fond of food and see it as a way to bond and show their love. We spent countless days at our grandparents’ – my grandmother always saw to it that there were at the very least three different main dishes on the table and an abundance of rice; my grandfather marinated chicken and ribs for the grill while we collected ripe plums and crabapples from their backyard trees – and countless hours in restaurants, sometimes driving almost an hour outside the city just to visit a particular restaurant that my grandparents (and by extension, the rest of the family) favoured, where they laid dish after dish on the table(s), and carved our meat tableside while we watched with greedy eyes. Over mouthfuls of food we talked and laughed, and ate till we were stuffed, and there were always plenty of leftovers to take home. 

Meet Matt!

I'm Matt, a.k.a. Matt the Butcher!  I hate talking about myself, but here it goes.  I live in central Florida, where it's way too hot for eight months out of the year.  I've been cooking for most of my adult life.  I really can't remember cooking as a kid, or what got me started cooking.  I just know that I do love to cook, for myself and my family, and I get great pleasure watching others enjoy the food that I've prepared.  I don't think I have any particular cooking style so to speak, but some of my favorite things to cook are a nice Boston butt that's been on the smoker for 10 or 12 hours, a Detroit-style pizza that I've been experimenting with, and any odd cuts of meat I can find, which includes most any kind of
offal.  I'm a butcher by trade, working in a large grocery store. I absolutely love cutting meat and sharing recipes with all of my customers.

I'm also a self-taught cake decorator.  When my kids were very young I started making their birthday cakes.   Just the usual round 2 layer cakes, but as they got older the cakes became more and more complex, up to the point where I've made wedding cakes for a couple of my kids!  So, if I could learn to make candles, I guess I'd be the person you've all heard of but never met:  The Butcher, the Baker and the Candlestick maker!

When I'm not working or cooking, I like riding my old Harley or playing racquetball with my kids and grand kids.  I'm addicted to tattoos, having about 15 or so.  I'm in the process of getting my entire arm completely covered in ink.  I like to think I've had a big influence in my kids being interested in cooking.  My oldest son placed third in a Boston butt cook-off last year, and most of my other children love to cook, as well as my grandchildren!  I can remember my oldest grandchild, Kay, sitting on the counter watchin' Grandpa cook when she was just a baby.  She's 17 now, and cooks for her brothers and sisters when her Mom works late.  At the moment, we have our 3 year old grandson living with us and he's my little sous chef, taking every pot and pan out of the cabinets and cooking along with me on the floor in the kitchen.  My namesake grandson, Matthew, is 7 and he likes to cook on the BBQ while his Dad keeps an eye on him.

Matt the Butcher's Almost World Famous Mac 'n Cheese

Of all the different things I cook, I think this is my wife's favorite.  Kinda her comfort food.

1 pound elbow macaroni
6 Tablespoons butter, divided in half
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons flour
3 cups milk (any kind)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon annatto, if desired (for coloring)
1 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Cook macaroni until it's about 2/3 of the way done (remember, it's gonna cook more in the oven).  Drain macaroni and set aside.  Melt 3 Tablespoons butter and mix with the bread crumbs; set aside.  In the same pot that you cooked the macaroni in, over medium heat melt 3 Tablespoons butter and whisk in the flour, stirring and cooking for about 5 minutes.  Turn the heat up to medium high and add the milk and spices, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens.  Turn off the heat and add the cheese in 2 batches, stirring until all the cheese is melted.  Add the drained pasta and mix well.  Turn the mixture out into a 9x13 inch baking dish, cover with the bread crumb mixture.  Place in a 450°F oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the bread crumbs are browned and the cheese is bubbling.  Try and wait for about 15 minutes before serving.  :)

Meet Sarah!

My twin brother and I were adopted from Costa Rica when we were three.  We grew up in a very loving home by the best Mom and Dad anyone could wish for.  My Mom was the main cook in the house, always preparing a comforting classic meal that included a protein, a vegetable and a starch.  In 8th grade, my Grandmother moved in with us and did a lot of the cooking and baking.  It was always delicious.  While my Dad didn’t do a lot of the daily cooking, he is quite the master when it comes to things like chili, pasta sauce, ribs and shrimp scampi.  Thinking back, I grew up eating very, very well!

I never took an interest in being in the kitchen except for when it was time to eat.  I now regret this because the beloved foods I grew up eating were lost when my Mom passed away in 2007.  I wish I had taken the time to learn more about how she did things in the kitchen.  I still dream of

Meet Maurita!

My name is Maurita Plouff, and I'm a rustic cook. 

When I was growing up, I was only allowed into the kitchen to dry the dishes. I started cooking when I went off to college, because I figured it would be cheaper to cook for myself. I was right, but along the way, I had to learn to accept some fairly horrible meals. Thus I had an interest in improving rapidly, and fortunately I learned quickly. Cooking soon became an abiding interest. Sometimes I wonder if this is an ongoing act of rebellion, because to this day I refuse to dry the dishes with a towel.

My interest and skills grew over the years. I have worked in the food biz as a personal chef, and my business did well for 7 years, but I'm cooking only for my family and friends now. I prefer to eat local foods in season - they're fresh! they taste fabulous! - and do my own canning and preserving. I suppose I'm an old-fashioned cook. 

Meet Donna!

I really don’t remember a time when I wasn’t helping in the kitchen – peeling, chopping, mixing … or standing on a kitchen chair in front of the stove melting butter for popcorn.
Growing up, we lived in a tiny apartment, so I was never far from the kitchen. Even if I wasn’t paying attention, my mother was nearby, chopping, stirring, seasoning, and serving. She seldom used recipes – everything was done by taste, and that’s how I learned to cook. I can’t really say that she taught me how to cook – it was more like I absorbed it from being around it all the time.

I have to say that I was completely surprised when I found

Meet Susan W!

Hi everyone, I’m Susan Whempner.  I live in pretty, sunny Southern California with my wonderful husband of almost 28 years, and our 24 year old son, who is a recent college graduate.  I enjoy quilting, photography, gardening, travelling and my husband and I have recently taken up the hobby of target shooting.  Of course, I also love to cook.

When I was growing up, my mom was a very good home cook, as were both of my grandmothers.  I have fond memories of my mom’s Toll House cookies, her spaghetti sauce, and her wonderful meatloaf, which she made on top of the stove instead of baking it in the oven.  I

Meet Traci!

Hi! I am Traci and I live in The Piney Woods of East Texas. I consider myself a comfort cook. It is just my husband and me, so we kinda play it by ear when it comes to meals. While I do try to plan for the week, something will happen, like

Meet Christine!

I get my fondness for cooking from my grandma and mom. My grandma was a stay-at-home-stick-to-your-ribs kind of cook, and my mom was a wrap-it-in-foil-then-bury-it-in-the-campfire kind of cook. We spent the summers waiting for my grandfather to get home from work so we could go down the hill, dig for clams and catch fish, or whatever happened to

Meet Jenny!

I was taught to cook by my grandmother at a very young age. My grandmother is also my inspiration for attending culinary school. I am currently a junior at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, studying culinary nutrition and hope to become a registered dietitian after graduation. I graduated with my associates degree culinary arts in November 2012. I was diagnosed in 2008, at the age of 26, with Celiac Disease and have been cooking and baking gluten-free ever since. I started my website, Creative Cooking Gluten Free right after my

Meet Chris!

Hi there! My name is Chris, and I'm SO thrilled to be a new addition to 37 Cooks! I am a true Texas gal, born in Fort Worth, raised on a ranch out West, a UT- Austin grad, and a current Houston resident!!! I love my Longhorns, Astros, and Texans (amongst others), but more than any of those, I love to cook!!! I am a bilingual elementary school teacher who loves her job, puppies, and cats. I love my hubs, "S", as well. But that's another story. I

Meet Diana!

Well, hey. Hi there! I’m just a nutty woman who loves, and I mean loves, to cook. While I love cooking for everyone, my family and dearest co-workers are the ones I like to cook for the most. They’ve got my back, and so therefore my food, ya know?!

I tend to cook spicy, savory foods. I rarely do sweets, but when I do, they often have something hot, like my beloved Aleppo chile pepper in them.

Bread and flour are my current passions. I have a flour stash from hell (try 90-120 pounds of different flours). My dining

Meet Luke!

I am Luke Deville and I am from the metropolis of Ville Platte, Louisiana.  We have a whopping 10,000 people that live "in" the Ville Platte area.  We are a small Cajun town, with strong family ties and we all love to cook.  Cajuns cook, that's what we do.  When we get together we usually have ten times the amount of food than we actually need.  I really don't know why other than we like to cook and eat!  My family loves to cook and we cook often.  That is what drives me to cook like I do.

Meet Susan R!

When I think back to my earliest memories, they all seem to center around food and cooking. I now live in Pennsylvania, but I grew up in Maine. My grandfather was a Lobsterman in Cape Porpoise and my grandmother had the biggest vegetable garden I have ever seen. (Well, I was a little kid so it seemed big to me!) I learned at a very young age to respect the resources our land and sea provided. My grandmother canned fruits and vegetables, and she also made her own root beer. We loved to see the few bottles that fermented and pop the tops so they hit the ceiling. That didn’t win us any points! My mother was an amazing home cook. She loved to experiment and I learned to use my imagination in the kitchen after watching both my parents

Meet Gary!

I credit my parents for being the most important culinary influences in my life. Having been raised in a restaurant environment, I was exposed to not only classic Cantonese cuisine, but also what could only be described as genuine Soul Food. Chicken Fried Steak would often mingle with Chicken Chow Mein at the same table! The sights, sounds, and most importantly, the flavors of these restaurant years would inspire me to not only seek out and eat, but to learn to create delicious, balanced, Asian-fusion comfort food. An avowed carnivore, I love to take large cuts of meat (run, piggies, run!) and prepare them in delicious, often frugal ways, sometimes even making the leftovers more spectacular than the original meal (Spicy pork tacos, anyone?). I live in my hometown of Houston with my partner of 15 years, who eats most of what I cook. I currently work in Conference

Meet Tracy!

I am a graduate of the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. After graduating from college I was hired by the Army to run an Officers' Club in Washington State. I met my husband there and we have lived all over the country for the past 21 years.

I spent most of my career working in catering and event planning. I never had an interest in cooking because I spent

Meet Rachael!

Since I was a little girl, I have had a love for baking. It started by making cookies from scratch, with the help of my grandmother, who always let me lick the beaters. I had my own apron, my own special whisk, and a nagging sweet tooth. I continued to bake over the years and fell in love with cake decorating. A few years ago, I founded La Dolce Vita Cakery, where I create custom cakes for clients.

In addition to cake decorating, I also work part-time from

Meet Louise! You can call her Chiffonade too!

I grew up in an Italian household in Brooklyn, NY with two parents and a brother, ALL of whom loved to cook. We ate dinner together every night where we discussed problems, triumphs of the day –everything. This fostered in me a great feeling of “community” around food. High School Home Ec was a favorite class and I strong armed my classmates into letting me cook everything. They liked the good marks – I got to have an afternoon snack – everybody wins. I cooked a lot as a teenager and into my 20’s but I really became

Meet Julie!

Hi! I'm Julie and I live in Atlanta, GA by way of South Jersey/Philadelphia, PA (Go Flyers!). Throughout my childhood, my food standards were set high by my mom. Most nights, she presented us with amazing homemade meals that she labored for hours to prepare. It's embarrassing to admit that we took these efforts for granted until the night that Mom served Hamburger Helper. My brother and I refused to eat the offending casserole, opting instead to stay hungry. Our tastes ran towards food prepared from scratch, with love.

As a kid, I always loved to play in the kitchen. But when I went to college, my cooking really took off. Tired of cafeteria food, I tried cobbling together my favorite meals in a dorm

Meet Linda!

I'm a native Houstonian. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 37 years and I have two adult children. I started my insurance career as a file clerk right out of high school, and I retired 10 years ago as a licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Agent. My faith and family are my priority. I love to hunt for vintage items and high-end bargains. Much of my home is decorated with things I have inherited or found at garage sales and secondhand stores. I enjoy traveling, especially to see my daughter in Kansas.

I grew up in a household with a single, working mom and elderly grandparents. Since my grandmother was ill, most of