As the chefs competing in Smeeks and Chow Bella's fourth-annual Caramelpalooza -- coming 7 p.m. Friday, April 5, at UNION -- get out the candy thermometers, we've got our pens ready to introduce you to the faces behind the caramel.
Although Lisa Rast is simply nutty about nuts, she's excited to compete in Caramelpalooza again this year. She says the secret to her caramel-making stems from the simplicity of "a pan, some ingredients, and a whole lotta fun."
We can't wait to see what she brings to the table this year, because everytime we pass by the NutWhats stand at a farmers market, we can't resist grabbing some Beer Britty peanut brittle. If we're lucky, she might make some beer caramel this year.
See Also: - Announcing the Caramel Makers for Smeeks & Chow Bella's Caramelpalooza 2013! - Churn's Monica Castillo: Caramelpalooza Candymakers 2013 - Herb Box's LaDawn Driscoll: Caramelpalooza Candymakers 2013 - Nutwhats' Lisa Rast: Caramelpalooza Candymakers (2012)
My favorite nut to pair with caramel is... pecans
If I were a superhero, my name would be NutWhats , and my superpower would be to spread some twistedly addictive nutty love!
I'm gonna crush my Caramelpalooza competition this year with my... shhhh......that's a secret. ☺
What's so great about nuts? What's not to love about nuts. You can roast them, blend them, bake them, caramelize them, spice them, and so much more. They can be sweet, salty, spicy, savory, or however you like them.
My number one candy addiction (aside from the candy I make) is . . . Peanut Butter Twix
When I'm not crafting candy, I . . . am crafting chocolate or running my kiddos around.
If I couldn't salt my caramel, I'd season it with . . . something spicy.
I wish my kitchen were... four times as big!
When I need to focus, I put on my favorite band: U2.
Yoga or jogging? Jogging
