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Patty Mastracco: Making Mouths Water One Recipe at a Time
Not only has she been an Owner with Grand Pacific Resorts for 10 years, but Patty Mastracco is also a world-class chef and cookbook author who often makes appearances on TV show cooking segments to impart her delicious recipes with the world. We were happy to hear her story—and also get her to dish on some of her favorite holiday recipes. Patty got her start in the food industry as a food stylist at Hunt’s Foods (yes, the ketchup people!) Her dad worked there and was on the panel that created the UPC barcode and also developed the very first squeeze ketchup bottle and no-drip oil bottle (thank you, sir!) The summer of her junior year of high school, Patty landed an internship in the Hunt’s test kitchen and realized it was the most fun thing ever to play with food and get paid for it! It was then and there that she decided to make a career out of her love of food. Patty studied at Cal Poly where she majored in home economics. Once she graduated, she landed a job back in the Hunt’s test kitchen, sampling millions of food products ranging from Mexican to Chinese to run-of-the-mill snacks. It was then that Patty began to develop specific recipes to help promote the food products. She contributed to the Hunt-Wesson cookbook and also styled the food for multiple TV commercials, including one with Mrs. Brady as well as Mr. Orville Redenbacher of the popcorn brand fame. Patty’s approach to developing recipes is to first decide on a theme for the meal then trial which flavors pair well together. She then tests and re-tests, often asking happily willing friends and neighbors for their feedback. Now, with three decades of experience in the culinary industry, Patty says she has cooking down to an exact science. You can find her recipes along with other tips and tricks on her website idofood.com and on Instagram @idofood. You’ll also find a few of them here, just in the time for the holidays. So if you’re ready to impress family and friends with your cooking skills or simply want to savor them for yourself, then read on!
Recipes courtesy of Patty Mastracco idofood.com
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