Lorain's diverse community helps local excel in cooking contests

LORAIN — Growing up in an internationally diverse community such as Lorain means one local woman is as comfortable cooking paprikash as she is cooking empanadas, which she puts to the test regularly entering cooking contests — and winning. Kristyne McDougle Walter was the grand prize winner for her Chilean Beef and Olive Empanadas and will appear in the June/July issue of Taste of Home magazine. The win earns her $500 and bragging rights. "When I was little, I loved to cook so much that my mom would put me at the kitchen sink with the potato skins, celery leaves and leftover peels, so I could 'cook,'" Walter said. "When I was growing up, I cooked a lot with my Oma and mom, a lot of Polish and Hungarian dishes, paprikash. We would hand make the spaetzle. I have such fond memories of that. For me, it's comfort food." Stuffed cabbage, stuffed peppers, cabbage and noodles, Easter bread and Praska bread also are all family traditions. As a student at St. Anthony of Padua School in Lorain, Walter recalls the rich diversity of her classmates. "There were so many kids from so many different backgrounds," she said. "When the city held the International Festival each year, the church would make empanadas. My friend was Chilean and her grandma and mom would let us help when we were little. We would put the egg and olive on the top, while the older ladies prepared the empanadas." All of the recipes Walter creates are inspired by her pride in cooking and being from Lorain. "I've always lived in Lorain," she said. "I'm the first generation not to work in the steel mill. Lorain is an immigrant's story and food shares that story. I'm as comfortable cooking Chilean food as I am making Hungarian food. I come from a long line of people who love cooking. I'm just carrying on the tradition." A 1995 Firelands High School graduate and former FHA member, Walter has been entering contests as far back as she can remember. She loves to bake cakes, taking nine entries to last year's state fair. In fact, out of 88 entries in the baking and canning categories, she won 49 ribbons. While Walter's husband, Jake, enjoys her food, her biggest fans are her kids. "They like to eat what I make," she said. Not all parents can say the same. Of course, her kids know all of what goes into it. Not only have they observed her over the years, but they have also been on the other side of the stove. "They did a lot of fair baking when they were younger," Walter said. "They went to the county fair and state fair as well. When my son was 4, he won first place for making turtles." Taste of Home runs six contests per year and Walter participates in each one, having appeared four times in the magazine so far. She won a contest sponsored by the Ohio Beef Council for her Oma's brisket recipe. And she was runner-up last year in the 100 years of Betty Crocker contest with a carmalita cookie recipe. With a new Taste of Home contest every two months, there is always something new to try. In November/December, it was cookies and cakes, where she won the title of "Most Innovative" cookie, putting her in the running for "Most Innovative of the Year." In January/February, the contest was "Healthy Your Way." Next up is the "Oodles of Noodles" contest. Walter submits about 10 recipes per contest. With a degree in public relations and a minor in political science from Ohio Northern University, Walter has a strong writing background, which is useful in these contests. "I started entering writing contests in 2020," she said. "I wanted an outlet and I was looking for some extra income. All of my recipes have a story that goes with it — where it comes from, who I make it for. I write a story to go along with each one." "I really like the art of food and feeding people," Walter said. "The art of feeding people is the story of Lorain too. The story of food is also the story of our town. By writing these recipes, I'm bringing these traditional dishes to a new generation." The former manager of Ziggy's Pub & Restaurant in Amherst for 17 years, Walter is a "community cook" with Taste of Home, making and reviewing recipes on the magazine's website. Walter also is working on a cookbook based on recipes from the Amazon Prime show "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." Kristyne McDougle Walter can found on Instagram. Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@chroniclet.com. ADVICE: "Don't be afraid of making mistakes. And always have your baking ingredients at room temperature before you start. If I know I'm going to bake, first thing in the morning, I get out the eggs, butter and milk." WINNING RECIPE: Chilean Beef and Olive Empanadas 1 lb. ground beef ½ large onion, finely chopped 3 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped ⅓ cup chopped pitted green olives 1 Tbsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp chili powder 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 1 large egg, beaten 2 pkg (14 oz. each) frozen empanada dough disks, thawed Salsa verde, optional Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender, 6-8 minutes, breaking beef into crumbles; do not drain. Stir in hard-boiled eggs, olives and seasonings; heat through. Remove from the heat. Brush beaten egg over edges of dough circles. Place 3 Tbsp filling on 1 side of each. Fold dough over filling. Crimp edges and press to seal. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with remaining beaten egg. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown; serve warm with salsa verde, if desired. Prep: 40 min. + chilling Bake: 20 min. *Makes: 20 servings Nutrition information: 1 empanada: 184 cal., 8g fat (3g saturated fat), 51mg cholesterol, 338 mg sodium, 21g carbohydrates (0 sugars, 1g fiber, 9g protein