My name is Marvin Latimer. I was born in Conway, SC. My life's motto is "Live a life with no regrets," and my goal is to have my own nighttime cooking show. After graduating from Clemson University, I moved home to Myrtle Beach, SC to run the family business, Latimer's Funeral Home. Not much fun there as you could expect for a wild & crazy guy like myself, so I turned my creative juices into cooking , entertaining and the arts as a catharsis.

I feel a plate of food should be artistic, passionate and a symphony of color and flavor -- it should also be pleasing digestion-wise. I've been blessed to be afforded the luxury to appear on a few TV programs (Big Brother 5 & Allstars). But this is the first TV appearance that highlights my passion ... women! (Just kidding ... cooking for women!) My signature dish is my own creation that helped get me on Rachael Ray. It is lobster stuffed pork tenderloin roasted in red wine then deep fried & sliced.

Week 2

Pastrami and Sausage with Pasta and Lacquered Carrots

Ingredients






• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 pound prepared sausage, such as kielbasa, sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1/2 pound deli pastrami, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on fruit
• 1 pound long strand pasta, such as spaghetti
• 6 slices cheddar cheese
• 1 banana, peeled and cut into long wedges
• 1 red apple, such as McIntosh or Red Delicious, peeled and skins saved



Directions

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat to boil.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the sausage slices to the pan and cook until golden brown and heated through, 5-6 minutes.

Add the onions to the pan and cook until tender, 5-6 minutes. Add the pastrami, teriyaki sauce and balsamic vinegar to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until pastrami is heated through and liquids have reduced slightly, 3-4 minutes.

Place a medium saucepot over medium-high heat with the carrots and about an inch of water. Bring the liquids up to a boil and cook the carrots until tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain most of the water from the pot of cooked carrots (leaving a couple of tablespoons) and return the pot to medium heat. Add the honey and sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cook without stirring until the liquids have thickened and are syrupy, about a minute. Reserve warm.

Once the water in the large pot is boiling, drop pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain cooked pasta and return to pot it was cooked in. Add cheese slices to hot pasta and stir to melt cheese. Reserve warm.

To serve, plate cheesy pasta, pastrami and sausage, and serve with honey-coated carrots alongside. Serve banana wedges on side with a light sprinkling of sugar and peels of the apples as garnish.

Serves 4.

Week 1

Shrimp Etouffee Infused with Peppers, Tomatoes, and Thyme

Ingredients






• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, enough to fill a small saucepan with 1/2-inch oil
• 1 cup white rice
• 1/4 pound long strand pasta, such as spaghetti
• 3 small sweet red peppers, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
• 1 green pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
• 5-6 sprigs thyme, leaves removed, plus additional for garnish
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Paprika, for garnish



Directions

Place a small saucepan over medium heat with about 1/2-inch of vegetable oil for frying. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat to boil.

Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat with rice and 2 cups of water. Bring liquid up to a bubble, then reduce heat to low and cover pot. Simmer until water has been absorbed, about 18 minutes. Remove pot from the heat and let sit 5 minutes.

Once water is boiling, drop the pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain cooked pasta and reserve.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of vegetable oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add chopped peppers and thyme leaves to skillet and cook until tender and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pan and continue cooking until the tomatoes have broken down into a chunky sauce, 3 to 4 minutes. Season veggies with salt and pepper, remove from pan and stir into cooked rice.

Wipe the veggie pan out and return to medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons.

In a medium mixing bowl, season shrimp with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Toss to coat and knock off excess. Add shrimp to the skillet and sauté until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

While the shrimp is cooking, take a small portion of pasta (about 1/4 cup) and twirl it around a fork to create a next. Drop the nest into the oil and fry until golden brown and set in its shape, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer pasta next to a paper-towel lined plate and repeat to make 3 garnishes.

To serve, scoop a small mound of veggie rice onto each plate and top with the shrimp. Garnish with extra thyme and paprika.

Serves 3