COMPETITOR

Team Pittman

HEAD COOK: Laureen Pittman

COMPETITION: Bacon World Championship

QUALIFYING EVENT: Bacon World Championship

Laureen Pittman is a paralegal by profession, but her hobby and passion is cooking. More specifically, competitive cooking. Since 2002, Laureen has participated in over 40 national and local recipe and cooking competitions, including the Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown, Ocean Spray’s Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Competition and cookoff, Aetna’s Healthy Food Fight, The Great Gilroy Garlic Cook-off and the Pillsbury Bake-Off (3 times!). Many of her recipes have been published in national magazines, cookbooks and online. Since she started competitive cooking, Laureen has won over $40,000 in cash, travel and prizes. Laureen is also an accomplished recipe developer and food stylist, creating original recipes for companies specializing in Mexican meats, marinades and food products, preparing the finished dishes and fully styled plates and props for photo shoots. Laureen has also taught cooking classes for children at local schools in California. For Laureen, the travel and the cookoffs are really the best part of this great hobby. She’s met many wonderful friends all over the country with the same passion for cooking, as well as celebrity chefs, including Tyler Florence, Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Duff Goldman (Ace of Cakes), Sara Moulton, Ree Drummond and Sandra Lee. You can follow Laureen’s cooking adventures on her blog: Live, Laugh, Cook, Eat (www.livelaughcookeat.com).