Cook of the Week: Brandy Conard

Ashley Hindsman

In a perfect world, Brandy Conard would have her own catering service.

She would employ her closest friends as the servers, who already love her cooking and support her idea and have even told her if they had the money they would financially help her with her dream.

BRANDY’S BROCCOLI AND RICE CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS: 2 cups rice (cooked) Medium block of Velveeta cheese 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 1 package of frozen chopped broccoli (cooked) DIRECTIONS: Mix rice, soup and broccoli together and place into a casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick Pam. Cube Velveeta cheese and place throughout casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until cheese is melted. Stir together well. TOMATO PIE INGREDIENTS: 2 pie shells 3 large tomatoes 2 cups mayonnaise 1/2 cup chopped chives 2 cups shredded white American cheese 1 cup shredded Velveeta cheese 1/2 cup of bagged bacon pieces Salt and pepper to taste DIRECTIONS: Bake pie shells for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees, then set aside. Place tomatoes in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then pull the peelings off and peal and slice and place on a paper towel to drain. Mix the mayonnaise, cheeses and bacon pieces in a mixing bowl. Layer the tomato slices on bottom of pie shells, add salt and pepper and chives. Spread the mayonnaise mixture and seal off the pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. CREAM CHEESE DANISH INGREDIENTS: 2 8-ounce cream cheese packages at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 egg yolk (save egg white) 1 teaspoon of vanilla 2 cans of crescent rolls DIRECTIONS: Mix cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Place one can of rolls in a pan. Pour cream cheese mixture on top, then place the other can of rolls on top. Brush top with egg whites (egg wash). Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. For icing, mix 1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and one cup of milk until dissolved. Pour on top of Danish as soon as you remove them from the oven.

But even though she is constantly getting requests for dishes and recipes and has already catered Christmas at the Beach this year, which gathered more than 300 people at the Hasan Temple, Conard said she just can’t get up the nerve to make her own dream come true.

“I’m afraid of people telling me no,” she said matter-of-factly.

“It’s what I love to do, but I’m scared to let that be my only income because I’ve been managing properties so long,” she explained.

Though she has a full-time job as a property manager, Conard still finds time to indulge in her cooking hobby by catering for anyone who knows she can cook. Her four close friends offer to help her by serving the guests and even have tuxedo shirts and bow ties to give them more of a professional look.

She also is the food director at the Sylvester Church of God where she coordinates lunches and dinners and “anything that has to do with food.”

But even when she is at home with her family and friends Conard said she has to be the one to cook and get the enjoyment of seeing everyone satisfied.

“When I have people over and I cook I never sit down and eat with them,” she said. “I sit there and I watch them enjoy it.”

And her house is very equipped for cooking for a crowd, she said, with lots of cabinet space and new cookware her husband, David, bought her for Christmas last year.

She said she began teaching her sons, Justin, 13, and Brandon, 11, how to cook at a very young age.

“I never wanted them to rely on a woman to cook,” she explained. “My 11-year-old can cook a steak better than grown men and my 13-year-old can do stuffed hamburgers,” she said.

“Whenever we come home and they see I’m tired sometimes they’ll say, ‘Mama, I’ll cook supper,’ and they clean up the kitchen. If you teach them young you don’t have to fight with them when they’re older,” she laughed.

With the support of her family and friends, Conard said she hopes someday she is able to get over her fear and open a catering service in Sylvester where she lives.

“I’d like to do it in Sylvester because it doesn’t have many restaurants and it’s such an awesome town,” she said.

“I guess I just need to trust that God’s going to direct me.”

• AGE: 34
• HOMETOWN: Longview, Texas, but moved to Albany when I was eight years old
• OCCUPATION: Property manager
• BEEN COOKING: Since I was about 7 years old

Q: How would you describe your cuisine or cooking style?

A: Southern.

Q: What’s the first thing you learned to cook?

A: I can remember making grilled cheese sandwiches when I was in the first grade.

Q: What is your favorite dish to make?

A: Broccoli and rice casserole. I can remember that as a child being my favorite dish for the holidays.

Q: Who are your favorite people to cook for?

A: My best friends Carla McNeil and Kristy Fincher and Dana Kirkland. Carla acts like a little kid every time I cook her what she wants. She gets so excited.

Q: What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made in the kitchen?

A: I mixed up salt and sugar when I was making a homemade banana pudding.

Q: What’s your most valued utensil in the kitchen and why?

A: My electric mixer. It is awesome I can do a poundcake in no time. I hug my husband every time I look at it.

Q: Besides your own, whose cooking do you enjoy eating and why?

A: My mother-in-law because it is true Southern cooking.

Q: Given the opportunity to cook a meal for one famous person, who would that be and why?

A: Paula Deen. I use all of her recipes and I would love to know if she approved of my cooking.

The Cook of the Week is generally nominated by members of the community. If you know of a cook that you think should be profiled — be it your favorite restaurant cook, your spouse or best friend — e-mail your nominee and reasons the person would make a good Cook of the Week to SouthView at southview@albanyherald.com. Please include contact information for the nominee. Those selected will be asked to submit a favorite recipe.

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