Carmell Childs: Mormon Cook

Carmell Nielsen Childs is a home cook who has won contests and placed as a finalist with her innovative cooking. She is a member of [http://Mormon.org The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Her Cherry Chicken Bacon Burger won a $20,000 family reunion in Smucker’s Spreading Family Traditions Recipe and Essay Contest. Her Mandarin Tin-Can Tower Cake won the first Del Monte’s Crown the Cook recipe contest in 2011. She was a finalist in the Dole Cook-Off 2013 with “DOLE”ightful Tropical berry Sticky Rice with Mango Passion Coulis and a finalist in the Real Women of Philadelphia cooking video competition in 2011 with Coconut Shrimp Poppers with Chili Mango Cream. She was again a finalist in the 2013 Great Midwest “I Heart Grilled Cheese” recipe contest with her Smoky Hoisin Ham Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. She was the grand-prize winner in the Gorton’s/Ortega Fish Taco Challenge in 2011 for her Grilled Fish Tacos. She placed first in the California Giant Berry Farms berry baking contest with her Baked Blueberry Citrus Pears a la Mode. She continues to compete in recipe contests.

Childs was born on March 11, 1980, and is from Ferron, Utah. In 2012, she gave up a chance at the grand champion title of the World Food Championships because the final competition was held on a Sunday. She said, “Because I teach my children that the Sabbath is a sacred day, I opted out of the Sunday competition for the $50,000.”[1]

In the contest, she competed against professional chefs and restaurant owners in her category and won the World Recipe Champion title and $10,000 for her Sweet Cherry Baby Bellas (stuffed baby bell peppers with a mixture of bacon, onions, cream cheese, cherries, and peppers), which moved her to the final competition.

Childs has a food channel on YouTube and her recipes are featured at http://www.justapinch.com and various other websites.