In The Kitchen: Carrie Raymond

CARRIE RAYMOND, Applegate Senior Research and Development Manager 

My family has always had awesome meals together, but I learned to cook from my mom. 

For me, bringing people together via food doesn't just happen during the holidays. It can happen anytime, anywhere, all you need is the right recipe.

What is your go to recipe? 

Skinny chicken with roasted green beans and potatoes or my meatloaf, which is my husband's absolute favorite. 

How did you learn to cook? 

From my mom, her side of the family loves to cook. I remember watching a children's television show and seeing a kid bake a cake with her mom, so I went up to my mom and asked to bake a cake. That was how it all started and kept growing from there. My family has awesome meals together. My granddad is in the Guinness Book of World Records for cooking the World's Largest BBQ! 

What do you like to whip up for yourself or when friends come over? 

My beer cheese and bourbon slush. 

Who is your favorite person to cook with? 

My mom, I love being in the kitchen with her. 

Our Christmas baking is the best! It never felt like Christmas until we baked together. When I lived in Nebraska, Texas, and Maryland, I didn't get home a lot to do our baking. Now that I am 2 hours away from home, we set up time about 2 weeks before Christmas. I love our baking sessions!

Do you eat leftovers? 

I LOVE leftovers, especially chili or holiday meals. 

Do you have music or a soundtrack playing while cooking? 

Depends on my mood. Sometimes 90s Alternative, AM Gold, 70s Funk, or Blues Rock. 

What does your kitchen look like while cooking a big meal? 

Like a giant sneezed dishes everywhere! 

Worst meal you ever cooked? 

I loved this as a kid but had it as an adult and it is just gross! We used to make "pizzas" with a slice of bread, tomato juice, cut up hot dogs, and American cheese cut into strips. Put it under the broiler and called it pizza as an afternoon snack. 

What was your biggest kitchen disaster? 

I was about 2 weeks into working at a catering company when we started loading up, I dropped a gallon of freshly made sesame dressing right before a big event. I thought for sure I would be fired. But my chef said, "No sense in yelling; clean this up, and make 4 more gallons." 

Name a protein you can't live without? 

Pork! Just like Homer said, it's a magical animal. 

What one APPLEGATE® product would you pick for the rest of your life? 

GENOA ....every time, seriously it is the best! 

Rapid Fire 

Sweet or savory? 

Sweet 

Lemon or lime? 

Lime 

Music or no music? 

Depends on my mood but usually music. 

Recipe follower or improviser?

Improviser 

Apron or no apron? 

No apron unless I'm baking with my mom. 

Skinless or skin-on? 

Skin on-it better be crispy though. 

White meat or dark meat? 

White meat 

Meal prep or wing it? 

Wing it 

Baking or Cooking? 

Baking 

As featured in Holiday 2023 issue of The Applegatarian. The Applegatarian, an outlet where employees and advocates of the nation’s leading natural and organic meat brand dish about their favorite recipes, tips, products, partners and more.