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Meet Amy Locurto

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Tasty Kitchen Blog: Meet Amy Locurto.

 
She’s a creative mom of two from Dallas, Texas who owns a design and photography business, is co-founder, designer and editor of a popular photography website, contributes holiday content for Disney, and offers printables in her online shop. She also happens to have grown up in the town where Ree lives now. In fact, she spent Fourth of July this year watching Marlboro Man and his brother blow up the county with fireworks! Let’s all say hello to Amy Locurto, and in case her hearing hasn’t been the same since that pyrotechnic display, let’s say it a little loudly!

Amy was one of our very first members here at Tasty Kitchen. She confesses that she blogs too much and carries her camera wherever she goes, to the annoyance of her family. Amy is the co-founder of I Heart Faces, a fun photography website that has grown into quite a community and resource for thousands of photography enthusiasts. Her graphic design work has given her the opportunity to create content for such big names as Reader’s Digest, Disney, and Blissfully Domestic. Her blog, Living Locurto, is where her whimsical side runs free, and she offers all kinds of cute printables and creative ideas there, including printable weekly meal plans with a grocery list.

Her dishes are not just all about cute, mind you. Look at the great meal ideas waiting to be discovered in her recipe box.

Tasty Kitchen Blog: Meet Amy Locurto.Clockwise from top left: Cheesy Chicken Muffins, Minty Fresh Summer Chicken & Rice, Mini Barbeque Beef Pies, and BBQ Chicken Soft Tacos.

 
 
 
One of her dreams is to go on a Mediterranean cruise, which is easy to understand especially after finding out that her quick meal of choice is hummus, olives, and pita bread, and her favorite food pairing of the moment is feta cheese and kalamata olives. Her go-to meal? Pasta with fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil and garlic. Yes, I think a Mediterranean cruise seems like the next logical step, and I hope it means we end up getting more incredible light dishes like her Greek Chicken Pasta Salad below.

Tasty Kitchen Blog: Meet Amy Locurto.Clockwise from top left: Easy Avocado Taco Salad, Cilantro Salmon Patties, Corn and Avocado Salad, and Greek Chicken Pasta Salad.

 
 
 
Amy loves her coffee and it’s the one ingredient she needs to always have in her home. She loves to bake and her red KitchenAid mixer is her absolute favorite kitchen tool. Just look at what it helps her make!

Tasty Kitchen Blog: Meet Amy Locurto.Clockwise from top left: Dark Chocolate Cookies, Fresh Blackberry Cake, and The Softest Chocolate Chip Cookies.

 
 
 
Of course, someone as creative as Amy has got to have some really cool party ideas, and her Easy Chocolate Candy Caramel Apples are just one of the many fun party ideas you’ll see in her blog.

Tasty Kitchen Blog: Meet Amy Locurto (Easy Chocolate Candy Caramel Apples)

 
 
 
Other fun facts about Amy: she used to be a cowgirl and won ribbons in rodeos (ask her who taught her how to ride), she went to high school with Marlboro Man and still thinks he’s great, she was run over by a big station wagon with wood grain panels (twice!), and once received a prank call from Charles Barkley. She admits that she had 4-inch high bangs in the 80s and was on MTV for 30 seconds. (Maybe if we all ask nicely, she’ll show us some photos of that.)

Yes, those and even more strange things really did happen to her! One of them involves fire and a snake, and because snakes make me shudder, I’ll let her tell the story. Take it away, Amy!

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: I enjoy the creativity of making something from scratch, the aromas, and the entertaining that goes along with cooking.  

 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities?
A: My Great-Grandma Chunkie could make the best pies ever. She was my celebrity chef when I was a kid. Now, I LOVE Italian food and Giada De Laurentiis is a favorite of mine. Also, Curtis Stone is a total hottie. I can’t help but love his dishes.

 
Q: Who inspires you?
A: Bakerella inspires me with her amazing creations. If I met her, I’d be totally giddy. She makes me want to bake all the time. I think I’ve gained at least 10 pounds since discovering her web site last year. Thanks a lot Bakerella!

 
Q: Any strange foods or food combinations that you really enjoy?
A: I just discovered that if you eat an Easter Peep and an M&M at the same time, it’s heaven.

 
Q: Any memorable kitchen disasters you’d like to share?
A: Years ago, I hosted a wedding shower and several out-of-town guests. In preparation for my party, I preheated the oven … not knowing there was a pizza box still in it! Twenty minutes later the house was full of smoke, fire alarms were going off and fire was coming out of the oven! EEK! One of my house guests called 911 while another sprayed a fire extinguisher in my oven, all of this while I about fainted! Luckily the party was outside and my new neighbor let me use her oven because mine was full of cheap fire extinguisher ashes. Nothing else exciting happened until the guests were leaving and discovered a snake on my front porch! That was a party to remember for sure.

 
Q: Is there an ingredient or kitchen technique that gives you grief? Aside from pizza boxes hiding in the oven?
A: Pie crust! I am the worst dough roller, pie crust shaper ever. Grandma Chunkie would be so disappointed if she was still alive.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: Get a fancy mixer and your cakes and cookies look and taste WAY better.

_______________________________________

 
Thanks, Amy! You had my full attention there. Except maybe for the few minutes when I almost bolted out of the room after you mentioned that snake on the porch.

 
Amy has such lovely dishes in her Tasty Kitchen recipe box but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Head to her blog, Living Locurto, for an even fuller view of just how creative this lady is, and if you love photography, you’d do well to check out the wonderful community she’s helped build at I Heart Faces.

 

35 Comments

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Liz@HoosierHomemade on 9.2.2010

It was so much fun to see Amy here! I just love her!
And her photos are AMAZING!!
~Liz

jess on 9.1.2010

I made the chocolate chip cookies last week and seriously, those were probably the ABSOLUTE BEST chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made! Fabulous recipe!!

Puna on 8.27.2010

Hi Amy! I had no idea you had all these recipes over here! On top of all you do, my question would be, how do you do it?

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soufflebombay on 8.27.2010

You sound like a lot of fun!
We have 80’s bangs and getting run over by a station wagon in commom lol!

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sweetebakes on 8.26.2010

I can’t wait to take a look at the rest of your recipes on your site.. loved this little expose! From one Texas girl to another.. HOWWDY! :)

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Amy Locurto on 8.25.2010

I’m going to embarrass myself even more and let you have a glimpse of my 80’s bangs. There is even a drawing of me getting run over by the wood panel station wagon! LOL!

If you were an 80’s teen, you’ll crack up at this:
http://www.livinglocurto.com/2010/03/my-80s-highschool-bulletin-board/

(Mommy of Three who just left a comment had the good hair. She likes to rub it in!!)

Mommy of Three! on 8.25.2010

Well, I’m lucky enough to have know Amy(& Marlboro Man) for over 30 years! If you read Amy’s ’80’s post on her blog, yep I’m her friend Lori(aka: The one who always has GOOD hair)! Ha!

Anyway, congrats on the feature Amy! Let me know next time you are headed ‘home’ & hopefully we can let the kids play!

Janet on 8.25.2010

This is a very fun post! Amy is quite a character isn’t she?? ;) Congrats on, well, everything!!!

Meredith on 8.25.2010

I made her Blackberry cake this summer from the berries we grew, it will forever be know as ugly cake at our house. I tasted wonderful but completely fell apart when I flipped the caked. I then tried to “glue” it back together with the icing- lets just say it was a mess, but it tasted WONDERFUL. So glad to know she is a dallasite also.

Clayvessel on 8.25.2010

Hi Amy, nice to meet you!

I wish I could teach you about pie crust. Pie crust is my specialty and I could show you how easy as pie it really can be. Then you would be, like me, a pie baking fool!

Cathe Holden on 8.25.2010

I heart Amy Locurto!
Fabulous designer, very cool blogger, top photographer, amazing mother, dear friend. Oh, and look, incredible cook!! Great feature : )

Tex on 8.25.2010

I’m drooling on my keyboard!

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liljean on 8.25.2010

I will definitely be checking out the blog. A fancy mixer is a beautiful thing :)

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KitchenTravels on 8.25.2010

What a small (internet) world. I found Amy’s blog over the summer when I was searching for ideas for my son’s Lego birthday party. And now she’s featured here on TK! Love it. Great interview post! :)

Kelly on 8.25.2010

Woohoo! I met Amy at Ree’s book signing in Dallas and she is so fun! Wonderful to see her featured on here!! :)

Pam D on 8.25.2010

Awwww…. I have loved Amy’s blogs for over a year now. I Heart Faces is single-handedly responsible for turning me into a total “face photo junkie”! And I made that blackberry cake (YUMMY!) and the Mini BBQ beef pies (my son loved them!); now I’ll have to try some of the other featured dishes. I’ve downloaded a lot of her free printables and purchased some, too… why yes, I AM an Amy Locurto fan. Why do you ask?

Kelly on 8.25.2010

I am so gonna try that blackberry cake creation! It looks divine! I have blackberries from my dad’s farm and wanted to try something new. I love it when someone follows their passion. Thanks for sharing.

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Noshings on 8.25.2010

Im heading to your blog now, Amy.
Thank you for adding some SPECTACULAR recipes to TK, the photos are insanely good, it sure does add something special!
congrats, girlie!

Angie from I Heart Faces on 8.25.2010

Yay Amy!!! So fun to see you on here (and funny to learn even more new, funny things about you.) Hee!

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Heather Disarro on 8.25.2010

i want to sleep on a bed made of that cake. i don’t even know what that means, but it’s beautiful!

Emily@remodelingthislife on 8.25.2010

Hey Amy, what fun this was!! So neat to get to know you better. I love greek food too and feta, pitas and kalamata olives are staples in my kitchen. I’m going to try your greek pasta salad! You are a woman of many talents. I want to see the big bangs.

Lisa Mac on 8.25.2010

Thank you for introducing us to Amy. I can’t wait to have my 16 year old check out her photography website. Thanks to your blog Ree, my daughter has started her own blog and a photography business here in Ca. You were one of her inspirations. Have a great day!

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Amy Locurto on 8.25.2010

Oh my gosh! I just saw this and am cracking up!!! I forgot I wrote about all of those things on my blog. LOL! I’m so honored to be featured on Tasty Kitchen. This is one of my favorite web sites… I’m addicted to drooling at all the food photos. Now I need to start cooking them!

Thanks to Ree for making such a wonderful site. Maybe I’ll change my profile pic to my huge 80’s bangs photo just for fun:-)

I’m excited to get to know so many new Tasty Kitchen readers!
** Waving Hi Everyone!! **

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treysmimi on 8.25.2010

I nade the fresh blackberry cake as soon as I saw it. It was divine and I think I gained 20 lbs because i single handedly ate 95% of the cake!

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caseyann118 on 8.25.2010

new member- and new fan of your blog amy- i share your love now for bakerellas cupcakes, cakes, marshmellow pops! and your great meal ideas….i have no babes but think its brillant even for workin folks out there.

Kelly on 8.25.2010

Yay! I’ve already checked out your site and your blog and am following both! Now I will proceed to my closet and fetch my yoga pants so I can comfortably get started on your recipes! Btw, you are rockin the purple!

Megan Gay on 8.25.2010

Easy Avocado Taco Salad and Corn and Avocado Salad are now on my shopping list for this week. Yum! Congrats on being featured.

The Italian Dish on 8.25.2010

Great interview. Nice to meet Amy. I did jump on over to the link about “strange things really did happen to her”. Couldn’t resist. The line about watching a surgeon walk with her dad’s heart down the hallway was a wower.

Brenna - Suburban Snapshots on 8.25.2010

I need to get better at indexing recipes I see in blog contexts so I actually remember to try them later, instead of deciding to try it, not saving said recipe, and then throwing together my usual special, which I like to call Whatever’s in the Front of My Cabinet. That salmon plate looks so tasty.

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Wenderly on 8.25.2010

Those Chocolate Candy Caramel Apples are darling!! Looking forward to checking out your blog, you seem like my kinda gal!

Elizabeth on 8.25.2010

Those photographs are great, the food looks incredible and mouth is watering as I type!
x

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fromsingletomarried on 8.25.2010

I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one bad at pie crusts! Love the pictures of those desserts, especially that cake. Yummm…

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Ree | The Pioneer Woman on 8.25.2010

Yay, Amy! I will never forget the day I saw that Fresh Blackberry Cake on Tasty Kitchen. Yummy.

We love ya more’n our luggage.

Lisa Johnson on 8.25.2010

This is one of my favorite posts ever! A new blog to go stalk. ;) Now I’m going to get to thank her for the extra 10lbs I’ll gain just eating those chocolate chip cookies I’m going to have to go bake now!!!

Jessica @ How Sweet on 8.25.2010

I’m very intrigued to now try the peep + m&m combo!