CBS has announced the identity of the 10 amateur bakers who will be competing on the reality series The American Baking Competition. The series, based on the popular UK show The Great British Bake Off, will premiere on May 29, 2013 at 8pm.
Jeff Foxworthy is set to host the show. Chef Marcela Valladolid and UK series judge Paul Hollywood are on board to judge the competition which will ultimately lead to the awarding of a $250,000 grand prize and a publishing contract.
The 10 competitors (four males, six females) were selected from a huge field who competed in local casting bake-offs.
The American Baking Competition Amateur Bakers:
Name, Age: Brian Emmett, 43
Current Residence: Itasca, Ill. (originally from Glendale Heights, Ill.)
Occupation: Owner of a Marketing/Advertising Company
Baking Specialties: Breads, pies, cookies, savory baked goods and pastries.
What makes you America’s best amateur baker? My repertoire, natural instinct, creativity and I’m not afraid to take risks!
Why do you enjoy baking? I love being creative and seeing the reaction from people when they eat.
What is your signature baking item? Caramel apple-topped cream cheese and mascarpone vanilla bean cheesecake with a walnut shortbread crust. I was having friends over for dinner and it was fall. They were craving caramel apples but I had planned to make a cheesecake, so I combined the two and created this signature item.
Have you had any baking disasters? Yes, I forgot to put sugar in a banana cream pie I was taking to a party!
What is your favorite family baking memory or recipe? When my grandmother came to visit she would always make an apple pie. I would sit in the kitchen with her, talk and watch her slice the apples to build the pie. I think of her every time I make it.
What is the best baking advice anyone has ever given you? Take time in the presentation part of it. It will give it the “wow” factor!
If you were a dessert, what would it be? Anything fun and with layers, maybe a pinch of cayenne in it to match my personality!
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Name, Age: Carlo Fuda, 35
Current Residence: Stamford, Conn. (Originally from Elwood City, Pa.)
Occupation: Social Marketing Consultant
Baking Specialties: Zeppole, cheesecake and bread
What makes you America’s best amateur baker? I tell a unique story when I bake, one of proud tradition and true to my heritage, but with an American influence. I take chances with complex flavors and bring the old world to the new.
Why do you enjoy baking? It relaxes me. I like eating what I make, and I can artistically express my culture and show off traditional specialties.
What is your signature baking item? It’s an Italian turnover with fig, almond, chocolate, coffee and spices. It is a recipe as old as my last name. We typically eat it at Christmas.
Have you had any baking disasters? Absolutely! Baked a pie with a paper disc in it and then my dog ate it.
What is your favorite family baking memory or recipe? Too many to list, but probably making zeppole on Christmas.
What is the best baking advice anyone has ever given you? Bake with passion and have fun. Love what you make and always share the love!
If you were a dessert, what would it be? I would be an Italian Rum Baba – it’s bold, sweet, intoxicating at first bite and at the heart of many Italian celebrations!
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Name, Age: James Reddick, 26
Current Residence: Hollywood, Calif. (originally from Indianapolis, Ind.)
Occupation: Photographer
Baking Specialties: Pies, cookies and pastries.
What makes you America’s best amateur baker? My attention to detail and my passion for the things I create makes me America’s best amateur baker.
Why do you enjoy baking? Because it reminds me of my mama.
What is your signature baking item? Apple cranberry pie or beignets. They were the first things I learned to cook because I was super homesick.
Have you had any baking disasters? Too many!
What is your favorite family baking memory or recipe? My mom makes everything by hand and from scratch. She’s a good country mama! So I do too!
What is the best baking advice anyone has ever given you? Keep baking something until you get it right, no matter how long that takes.
If you were a dessert, what would it be? A chocolate-and-berry-filled croissant, of course.
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Name, Age: Jeremy Cross, 35
Current Residence: San Diego, Calif.
Occupation: Firefighter
Baking Specialties: Cookies, cakes and pies.
What makes you America’s best amateur baker? I like to think that I can adapt to different baking environments and rise to the occasion.
Why do you enjoy baking? Baking is like therapy for me. I can be having the worst day, but I get in the kitchen and things seem better. I love to make friends and family happy.
What is your signature baking item? My cheesecake. My Aunt Charlotte would make them for parties, but I wanted to have them more often so I got her recipe, tweaked it and made it my own.
Have you had any baking disasters? I made a cake once and went to cut into it and it wasn’t quite done. I was the only dessert there was for the event.
What is your favorite family baking memory or recipe? Every year the whole family comes to my house to bake and make Christmas cookies.
What is the best baking advice anyone has ever given you? Don’t be afraid to take chances with your baking
If you were a dessert, what would it be? I would be an Oreo cookie cheesecake.
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Name, Age: Darlene Pawlukowsky, 51
Current Residence: Johns Creek, Ga.
Occupation: Project Manager
Baking Specialties: Cakes and cookies
What makes you America’s best amateur baker? I have had a passion for baking since I was a very small child. I am adventuresome and not afraid to try new things all the time and continue to learn every day. I bake quality items and think outside the box. I want everything I bake to taste great, be creative and original, like me! I put love into everything I bake and that’s the secret ingredient to success!
Why do you enjoy baking? It lets me use my creativity in food, it challenges me and relaxes me. I became even more passionate about baking when I was raising children and I wanted them to have quality food, without all the chemicals, preservatives and bad fats. I bake with love and enjoy making people happy. Plus, who is not happy when they see someone coming with a crazy cake, beautiful cookies, or any other baked good? It’s also my secret weapon to make sure my grown children come back home occasionally to visit their Mom!
What is your signature baking item? I’m known for my unique cakes. I started baking cakes for birthday and then bunko. Everyone loved them and I was just designated the cake baker for everything. I always make my baked goods unique in presentation.
Have you had any baking disasters? An occasional over-baked cookie or overflowing pie.
What is your favorite family baking memory or recipe? When I was little I baked so much in my Easy Bake oven that one day my mom said to me, “you know Darlene, you’re old enough to cook in the real oven.” Embarrassing! And, every Christmas my mom made many family cookie recipes and kept them in beautiful glass jars. She always knew when we were taking some because the glass lid would clink when we took it off.
What is the best baking advice anyone has ever given you? Put your heart and soul into everything you bake and it will taste wonderful.
If you were a dessert, what would it be? Macaroon – vintage, classic, sweet, colorful, multi-layers. It looks delicate but really packs a punch!
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Name, Age: Effie D. Sahihi, 40
Current Residence: Hendersonville, Tenn. (Born in Israel and raised in Winter Haven, Fla.)
Occupation: Attorney
Baking Specialties: Cakes, tarts and breads.
What makes you America’s best amateur baker? Baking has been a part of me and my life since my earliest memories. While my professional life veered into a different path that I am most proud of, I have always wanted to be a pastry chef and it is a goal that I will achieve. That passion is in everything that I bake for my family and friends, and a part of my heart is always in that offering. If there is a spirit of love and sincerity in your bake, it will be well-received. I believe that is the ultimate mark of America’s best amateur baker.
Why do you enjoy baking? It is truly my balance. I deal with people in the midst of the most difficult and heart-breaking times if their lives; baking allows me to be there for the joys and celebrations.
What is your signature baking item? A pistachio cake that is flavored with orange zest and cardamom, layered with fresh orange curd and orange blossom Swiss meringue buttercream. These are all of my late father’s favorite flavors and he is always with me when I bake it.
Have you had any baking disasters? My son had severe egg allergies and any attempts at an egg-free cake were always disastrous.
What is your favorite family baking memory or recipe? Growing up as a child in an unstable region susceptible to bombardment, comfort would often be found in the smell of home-baked pita bread dipped in fresh-pressed olive oil. That feeling of joy is why I bake and share it with others.
What is the best baking advice anyone has ever given you? The love, happiness and passion that you put into the bake will undoubtedly be evident in the final product. I believe that philosophy to hold true in everything we do in life.
If you were a dessert, what would it be? I would be a mille feuille, which is a pastry that is comprised of layers upon layers of varied flavors, colors and textures. That variety is what makes life so beautiful and extraordinary.
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Name, Age: Elaine Francisco, 63
Current Residence: Claremont, Calif.
Occupation: Retired
Baking Specialties: Breads, pies and cakes.
What makes you America’s best amateur baker? Having a genuine passion for baking which came naturally at an early age!
Why do you enjoy baking? Baking is a great way to share love. Also a stress reliever and cheaper than retail therapy. I love it!
What is your signature baking item? Old fashioned classic yeast dinner rolls. It was the first complicated item I learned to bake when I was 8 years old. They were hard as rocks, but I kept at it until they were perfect.
Have you had any baking disasters? Only when I fell asleep after 20 straight hours of baking rolls and the last pan was left cooking in the oven way too long!
What is your favorite family baking memory or recipe? When I first started baking the old fashioned classic yeast dinner rolls, my Dad suffered through the first ones, chewing them repeatedly, never complaining. He became so appreciative when I got them perfected. Even in his old age, he got excited when he knew I was baking rolls!
What is the best baking advice anyone has ever given you? Critique your baked goods and always work to improve your results.
If you were a dessert, what would it be? Chocolate cake with white frosting.
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Name, Age: Francine Bryson, 44
Current Residence: Pickens, S.C.
Occupation: Homemaker
Baking Specialties: Pies, cakes and quiche.
What makes you America’s best amateur baker? I stand by what I bake, and I don’t get stressed about the food.
Why do you enjoy baking? I like creating food that people love and learning the secrets from the past.
What is your signature baking item? Upside-down apple pecan pie. My Nana taught me to make it when I was about 7 years old and over the years I have perfected it in honor of the best baker I ever knew.
Have you had any baking disasters? Always! Soufflé’s fall, pound cakes stick and something burns.
What is your favorite family baking memory or recipe? Our family gathers in the kitchen making the recipes that have been handed down for hundreds of years, creating an appreciation for the art in the next generation.
What is the best baking advice anyone has ever given you? Stick to your roots and never forget where your food taste came from – from my granny (my dad’s mom).
If you were a dessert, what would it be? White chocolate bourbon pecan pie – a little sweet, a little sassy and a lot of nuts in the kitchen.
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Name, Age: Kolette Biddle, 30
Current Residence: Norco, Calif.
Occupation: Home Health Care Provider
Baking Specialties: Cookies, pies, cakes and tarts.
What makes you America’s best amateur baker? The thing that makes me the best amateur baker is I truly bake with my heart. This is my love, and with type 1 diabetes, it is how I enjoy it without eating it. I feel connected because I made it. It came from my heart, and it is a super-great feeling sharing that love and connecting with the people I bake for.
Why do you enjoy baking? I like to bake for the people I love. It makes me happy when they enjoy my baking.
What is your signature baking item? Chocolate genoise ruffle cake. I like to watch baking with Julia on PBS. I saw the recipe and I decided to make it. It was so spectacular I now make it for all my special occasions.
Have you had any baking disasters? Yes, I have burned the cookies.
What is your favorite family baking memory or recipe? My great-grandmother’s candy and my grandmother’s cheesecake. She took it from Dear Abby’s newspaper column.
What is the best baking advice anyone has ever given you? Whatever you dream, dream with all your heart; whatever you try, try with all your heart and happiness will be yours; and you seem the most happy when you bake.
If you were a dessert, what would it be? I would be a salted caramel cupcake covered in disco dust – sweet, a little salty and covered in sparkles, with glitter over everything. Just like me!
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Name, Age: Whitney Appleton Beery, 21
Current Residence: Lubbock, Texas (Originally from Castle Rock, Colo.)
Occupation: College student studying Hotel and Restaurant Management at Texas Tech.
Baking Specialties: Cupcakes, cakes and scones.
What makes you America’s best amateur baker? Because I’m young and fun and love exploring with baking.
Why do you enjoy baking? It is my calming activity and I love seeing people happy after eating my dessert.
What is your signature baking item? Everyone seems to like my cupcakes and cheesecakes the most.
Have you had any baking disasters? Yes! I tried to make strawberry cupcakes and it went all wrong.
What is your favorite family baking memory or recipe? I have many family recipes from my grandmother – even in her own writing which reminds me of amazing family time.
What is the best baking advice anyone has ever given you? Bake with love and it will always be good!
If you were a dessert, what would it be? A chocolate chip cookie, because everyone loves a chocolate chip cookie.
Source: CBS
