About Chef Tamra

Please share with your friends. Thank you!

Hi, my name is Chef Tamra. I decided to start this blog because whenever I provide a meal to someone in need, take dishes to a potluck dinner, or cater for a group of people I am always asked, “What did you do to make it taste so good?” As a teenager my father and mother worked so I cooked for the family. My dad was a big influence on how I cook. We would take what was available and make a meal. In order to add flavor to the bland ingredients we had, we Flavored it Our Way. I have continued to cook that way.

Trying new recipes

I like to try new recipes. They provide the ingredients, but usually only add a little bit of salt and maybe pepper for flavor. Some enjoy a little more pizzazz in the meals I prepare and serve. I am a cookbook fan. I have over 100 cookbooks accumulated over the years. Some I use a lot and other only on rare occasions. Sometimes I make the recipe as written the first time. I change it the next time to my taste. Some recipes I can tell from the start it will need more flavor and add additional flavors from the start. The common thread in the cooking process is, “What will the final product taste like?”

Getting my degree

I have always had a passion for baking. A few years ago I went back to school, at the Art Institute – School of Culinary Arts, and received my Baking and Pastry degree. As part of the course I had to take cooking classes featuring several different types of cuisine. The classes opened my eyes to a wide variety of spices, flavors, and combinations of ingredients than ever before. A short while after I received my degree my oldest son paid me a great compliment. He said to my husband, “Mom was always a good cook, but now she is even better!” The difference is I learned to be more daring and adventurous in my use of spices and food combinations.

Failure is part of the process

Needless to say there have been some things I have tried that turned out better than others, and some I have decided not to try again but that is all part of the experience. My goal here is to give you the confidence to experiment and say, “I Flavored it My Way!”

Please share with your friends. Thank you in advance.

Please share with your friends. Thank you!