Chef Linda Louise Lyle (Photo courtesy of Carla Hall's Favorite Chef)
Midland chef in quarterfinals of ‘Carla Hall’s Favorite Chef’ competition
A Midland chef nominated and chosen to participate in Carla Hall’s Favorite Chef online competition is currently in second place in the quarterfinals. Community members can cast their vote for the semi-finals until Thurs., Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. PDT.
If Chef Linda Louise Lyle wins online votes in the “People’s Choice” category of the competition, she’ll be featured in a two-page spread in Taste of Home Magazine, receive $25,000 and earn a special cooking experience with culinary pro Hall to boost her career.
The competition also includes a “Carla’s Choice” category where chefs can also be recognized by Hall, per the Favorite Chef website. Hall is renowned as a onetime Top Chef contestant on Bravo and also appeared on ABC’s “The Chew” and other shows.
“Culinary creators from all walks of life are welcome to slice, dice, simmer and showcase their skills while supporting an amazing cause,” stated Favorite Chef.
Voters can cast one “Free Daily Vote” per day or vote by donation via a “Champion Vote” that benefits the James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit that, according to the competition’s website, “aims to create a more equitable and sustainable future in the restaurant industry.”
In her online Favorite Chef profile, Lyle said that she lives “to create and cook” and that it is “truly [her] passion.” She also said she “would be honored to learn” from Hall.
She went on to add that she enjoys cooking for her husband, Douglas, and loves “seasonal fruit and vegetables at our local farmers market and Midland Meat Company to inspire new dishes along with my food network shows.” Lyle said she likes to cook anything “new and creative” but her favorites include duck and in-season vegetables.
She told Favorite Chef that if she wins the $25,000, she “will create a scholarship for local culinary students to advance their skills and add an outdoor pizza oven.”
Lyle, who has been cooking since she was 11 and isn’t sure who entered her into the competition, said that “a lot of the home cooks have been eliminated by now…it’s quite an honor to know I’m competing against Michelin star chefs in New York, it’s surreal,” she told KMID/KPEJ.
To vote for Lyle in the Favorite chef competition, click here. To learn more about Carla Hall, check out her website.
