Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

My way of loving people up’

Summerlin resident selected as finalist in online cooking competition

Stacey Shields

April Corbin

Summerlin resident Stacey Sheilds is a finalist in the Real Women of Philadelphia online competition.

When Stacey Shield moved to New Orleans for college, she began experimenting — with food, that is.

“I was a really picky eater. I made it difficult for my mom. I grew up on tacos and meatloaf,” says the Mississippi-raised Shields. “In New Orleans I started to experience food. I realized I liked different kinds of food. Especially Southern food.”

That burgeoning love continued through Shields’ graduate-level work at Vanderbilt and followed her when she moved to Las Vegas to work as a speech therapist with 2- to 5-year-olds. Now, it’s taking to her Atlanta to compete as a finalist in a nationwide online talent search being held by celebrity chef Paula Deen.

The Real Women of Philadelphia (that’s cream cheese, not the city) cooking competition asked women to create cream-cheese-infused recipes, then record themselves making the dish. Shields created more than 20 different items for the competition, most of which got nowhere. But her breakfast empanadas with chipotle cream got noticed.

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“It’s surreal,” says Shields, who describes herself as semi-obsessed with Paula Deen. Her bridal shower was cooking-themed and involved a lot of recipe books from the butter-loving chef. “We’re Facebook friends,” the Summerlin resident jokes.

The winner of the competition scores a $25,000 contract to host some online cooking videos on Deen’s website, as well as help craft a book of cream-cheese-centered recipes. It’d be a dream come true, says Shields, who, prior to this, never considered herself a competitive person.

Click to enlarge photo

Stacey Shield's winning dish: breakfast empanadas with chipotle cream.

“Cooking is my way of loving people up. I’m nourishing them. That is a rewarding thing,” she says. “Getting into this, I thought, ‘I just want to make it to the finals. I just want to meet Paula. Now that I’m here, I’ve realized. I really want to win.”

What Shields plans on saying to her idol upon meeting her next week is in the air.

“My husband thinks I’ll pass out. I want to thank her for being an inspiration.”

She adds, “Actually, I just want to hug her.”

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