Eliana House: Caramelpalooza Candymakers

From now through Caramelpalooza -- March 2 at Smeeks candy shop -- Chow Bella will introduce you to the 18 chefs participating in the third annual caramel tasting. Today, meet Eliana House. Eliana House pretty much grew up in the restaurant that her parents named after her, Eliana's - one of the only...

By Shelby Moore

March 1, 2012

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From now through Caramelpalooza -- March 2 at Smeeks candy shop -- Chow Bella will introduce you to the 18 chefs participating in the third annual caramel tasting. Today, meet Eliana House.

Eliana House pretty much grew up in the restaurant that her parents named after her, Eliana's - one of the only joints serving true Salvadoran cuisine in this town. She's in nursing school at the moment, but House still helps her parents with the cooking - like the pork and cheese pupusas with coleslaw. She recently took up the project of making caramel apples; she started making them for her four year-old and for her friends' birthdays parties, but has turned the project into a business as of this year - topping them with ingredients like white chocolate chips, candies, and even savory cheese snacks.

Q: What's your favorite Salvadoran dish?
A: There's the traditional pupusas. They're tortillas stuffed with beans, pork and cheese. They're fun because no Salvadorans really use recipes, so every one makes them differently.

Q: Which Food Network star do you watch the most?
A: Giatta. She makes all of that home-cooking and family-style food.

Q: Which would you choose, beach-front property or a cabin in the woods?
A: Beach-front, because I don't like bugs at all. But I don't really like swimming in the ocean either, so I'll just sit under a cabana and listen to it instead.

Q: If you could hang out with any celebrity under the cabana at the beach, who would it be?
A: I think it would be Oprah.

Q: If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
A: Italy, because I'd love to eat my way through it! And then start Weight Watchers afterwards.

Find Eliana and 17 other chefs at Caramelpalooza, Friday, March 2, from 7 til the caramel runs out, Smeeks candy store, northwest corner of Central and Camelback.

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Shelby Moore

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