News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Over 1,000 copies sold in just one month for a local DeKalb woman’s original cookbook.
Karen Carpenter is the author of “The Best of Sundance,” a cookbook highlighting original recipes from her former restaurant Sundance Restaurant and Catering. She said that folks had asked for their favorite recipes for some time, and it was when she retired that she finally was able to do it.
“Every time I went out, somebody would say, ‘Karen we miss you! ‘When are you going to write a cookbook,'” Carpenter said. “And so I sat down and wrote it. I had to kitchen test it because I was used to making very large quantities for the restaurant, and with the cookbook, I had to put proportions for a family.”
Carpenter said that she’s best known for her desserts. She said the book includes the recipes for her mousse cakes, fudge cake, and carrot cake. Carpenter said that if the recipe for one of your Sundance favorites isn’t in the book, she can get it to you.
Carpenter said that she began her journey in the culinary arts while living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She said that she and her husband worked on a ship, where she ran meal time.
“We did catering, a lot of parties, a lot of families coming aboard taking a week to two into the Bahamas or the Keys,” Carpenter said. “And I did all the planning and the cooking. Then at a certain time, we decided to get off the ship and when we moved up here, we moved up here to raise our children (…) And my husband had trouble finding work here in Smithville that he was qualified for, and he wound up going back to Florida and working on ships. I opened a health food store with vitamins and minerals and a little bit of food, and the food just took off.”
Carpenter said she wants people to know that running a restaurant takes more than just an apt for cooking. She said that it takes hard work, a business mindset, and a desire to never stop learning.
