Home Chef: Dawn Stockwell

A new addition to our site is Home Chefs.

We will be highlighting people that take home cooking to another level. There are a lot of home chefs that just stand out either by training or by personal dedication. If you know of someone like this send us a note and we will try and get them to share their story with us for everyone to enjoy.

First up is Dawn Stockwell. Baker by trade, excellent chef by choice. Dawn is a personal friend of Arizona Appetite and we have had the good fortune to have had many of her creations. Her kitchen was very well planned out and she use's it to not only prepare some fantastic eats but host some great get-togethers as well.

AA: Dawn, thank you for being the inaugural guest for our Home Chef stories. Lets start by asking where you grew up.
D: I grew up in the central coast area of California.

AA: What is your schooling and training background.
D: I completed courses through the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Le Cordon Bleu training for basic & advanced baking, pastry, professional cooking and cake decorating.

AA: What was your first job out of school.
D: My instructor was asked for an assistant baker at one of the best restaurants in the Santa Ynez Valley, and she offered it to me. I was not looking to work in the restaurant business but wanted to learn to cook for my husband and I (picture below). Pastry chef's at restaurants were really just getting to be a thing and there were not many available at the time. So I just went with the flow and each job I was offered was a step up, and I really did enjoy the ride.

AA: What were some of the other establishments that you worked in.
D: The Brothers at Matties Tavern in Los Olivos. The Alisal guest ranch in Solvang. Trattoria Grappolos in Santa Ynez. Decadence Fine Cakes and Confections in Buellton.

AA: How long have you and Larry been married.
D: We have been married for 33 years.

AA: Lucky guy. What do you two like to do for fun.
D: Thankfully we enjoy the same past times. Working around our ranch, hiking, jeep rides, exploring and prospecting. I love to garden. Obviously cooking and binge watching a good series.

AA: When did you move to Arizona.
D: We bought our land in 2002 and built our home in Williamson Valley in 2014.

AA: Have you and Larry enjoyed living here.
D: We do, we enjoy all the outdoor activities. There is so much to offer here.

AA: Have you plied your culinary trade anywhere locally.
D: I worked for the Rustic Pie and then the virus hit and all the restaurants were in turmoil and everything was unsure. So it was then that I decided it was time to retire.

AA: Yes, still like that for a lot of the businesses.
AA: While you were active, what was your most requested baked goodie.
D: It would have been my flour-less chocolate cake with mocha creme anglaise. My husband came back and requested that cake. It was my most requested dessert, besides my croissant bread pudding with Jack Daniel's sauce and butterscotch budino.

AA: They all sound very wonderful
AA: Do you have a favorite family cook.
D: My Aunt Clarice who I would visit in the summers. I always wanted to get in the kitchen with her and help. She did everything from scratch. Her and my Uncle Walt had the best garden so I always felt like the kitchen was a special place.

AA: What was your favorite food growing up.
D: Seafood. We had the best seafood restaurants on the central coast. I still miss it.

AA: Do you have a favorite food you like to prepare.
D: Right now we're playing around with pizza. We now prefer our own over anyone's. But would have to add the Park Plaza Deli supreme pizza with goat cheese added on is a favorite when we are in town.

AA: Do you have a favorite dessert you like to make.
D: Oreo Beignet with a chocolate espresso sauce. Tiramisu, carrot cake or rum cake. For someone who doesn't really drink, I prefer boozy desserts.

AA: What is your favorite meal time at the Stockwell ranch.
D: I am a brunch person so breakfast is a big thing for me. Right now when it's really cold, I like to break up the diner style breakfasts with steel cut oats with spicy apple cinnamon syrup.

AA: Do you have a favorite food memory.
D: When I was working at Trattoria Grappolo in Santa Ynez, we catered a lot of wineries and ranches. I would go and over see the serving of my desserts at some of the bigger events just so I could see all the people, the wonderful foods and the beautiful ranches and properties. The guys I worked for made so much food at these events, we would all get to take home the extra food and wine and sometimes the decor.

AA: Do you have a favorite local meal.
D: I like the Hassayampa Inn's BBQ brisket quesadilla that has tender smoked brisket, BBQ vinaigrette, fried onion straws and aged cheddar and order a side of sweet potato fries to top it off. Our favorite is searching out the best BBQ, breweries, bakeries and coffee houses. The funnest and best menu though is at the Palace Saloon. We order their crispy sprouts & pancetta.

(Above photo: Giada, filming Weekend Getaways at Trattoria Grappolo. It was super busy and crowded and my husband snuck this picture in of me with them in the back ground as they were setting up. )

AA: Do you have a favorite chef.
D: Wolfgang Puck.

AA: Any holiday traditions you would like to share.
D: I started a Christmas cookie exchange with our neighbors. I would make a big punch bowl of homemade vanilla spiced eggnog, a Christmas themed cake, a Christmas tree designed cheese board for appetizers and holiday dog biscuits for everyone to take home for their fur babies. My cookie contribution would be royal icing frosted sugar cookies. We were not able to have it this past year because of COVID. Normally there would be up to 30 guests and one year we had up to 1400 cookies! We took sample platters home to share with family and friends. With the remaining goodies, we would make huge platters and take them to our local firehouses to share.

AA: Sounds like a wonderful time and I am sure the firemen loved you.
D: Yes, they were very thankful.

AA: We ask a couple questions from all of our guests. If you could invite anyone living or not to a 8 person dinner party, who would you invite.
D: It would be family members who are no longer here, but part of my childhood. I remember them cooking for me and always fun to be around.

AA: What would be your last meal.
D: Pasta Carbonara, Zabaglione or just picked juicy fresh peaches and a latte.

AA: Dawn, it was really fun sitting down with you and letting our friends get to know you better and learn about your cooking. Do you have a recipe you would like to share with Arizona Appetite.
D: Thank you for having me. Yes, let me share my Oreo Truffles recipe. It is a local favorite.

AA: Just for confirmation, we have had these and they are out of this world delicious.

Thanks to Dawn for sharing with us. You can find her recipe under the recipe/dessert section of the site. You can also freeze these and bring out latter. Enjoy.

Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Oreo Truffles is a local favorite (Below).

Oreo Truffles:

- 1 pkg Oreo Cookies, not double stuffed
- 1 8-ounce pkg Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temp
- 10 pieces white candy coating bark

Break down cookies in a food processor till crumbly, do not over process. Add cream cheese and do not over process…transfer to a medium bowl and if you need to slightly fold together at this point, do gently.

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Scoop balls and refrigerate again.

Roll balls smooth and dip into warmed and cooled candy bark and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Do a second dipping and drizzle over dark chocolate.