While other kids her age sat in front of the TV watching Nickelodeon, the professionals on the Food Network fascinated Cara Greenstein. Culinary stars like Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray drew her attention with finely crafted dishes and unique approaches to cooking. Over the next decade, she would harness that passion, eventually creating her own food and lifestyle blog, Caramelized.
“I have really vivid memories as a kid at my grandparents’ house; I would actually make up a ‘fake’ restaurant for my family,” says Greenstein. “I would require my parents, grandparents, and siblings to make reservations and order from a menu that I would type up. I didn’t actually prepare the food at that time, but it’s interesting to think back on the practice of creating a food experience as a kid.”
That enthusiasm didn’t go unnoticed. At her bat mitzvah, most of her gifts turned out to be contraptions and appliances from Williams-Sonoma, like a set of chef knives, or her first KitchenAid blender. It wasn’t until a class in her public-relations major at the University of Texas at Austin in 2012, however, that the idea of Caramelized really became tangible. Required to create her own blog, Greenstein produced several food-related posts and was afterwards encouraged by family and friends to make them public. Her continued efforts eventually led to an internship with lifestyle blogger Camille Styles, as well as a spot for Caramelized on the Austin Chronicle’s “Top 10 Blogs” list.
Greenstein moved back to Memphis in 2014 and now balances her blog with work as senior PR and social media manager at DCA. Although it started out strictly as a food blog, Caramelized has evolved to incorporate elements of travel, fashion, lifestyle, and hosting. But she stresses that food remains the primary factor. “Everything I post related to an outfit, or table setting, or travel guide, still revolves around food,” explains Greenstein. “While sharing a recipe was phase one for Caramelized, it’s now grown into both the dish and my survey on that recipe: how am I setting the table to elevate the menu, or what am I wearing to the party that I’m hosting to gather my friends and family around the table for this wonderful meal?”
Caramelized
Caramelized
The risotto dish is just one of many recipes Greenstein has shared in the eight years since founding Caramelized.
A quick glance at the Caramelized website should provide plenty of ideas for anyone looking to host or cook. A diverse collection of tasty recipes, from “Carne Asada Taco Cups” to “The Ideal Cobb Salad,” flash across the top of the page. Greenstein has every step of a meal covered, with separate sections for cocktails, starters, salads, entrées, side dishes, and desserts. Need to stay sane during quarantine? Check out the features on how to create a solo retreat in your home or stock up your pantry sustainably.
The multifaceted approach is crucial to Caramelized. Every outfit posted or featured flower arrangement should have a story that works in the context of gatherings and enjoying those experiences. In that sense, the name of Greenstein’s blog is more than just clever wordplay. “Obviously, Cara is part of the word. But when you look at the definition of caramelizing something in cooking, you’re cooking something down so that the natural sweetness is introduced. And that really was my defining mantra when starting the blog.”
Eight years on, and with the blog garnering attention from major outlets like the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, Greenstein has a clear path forward. “Where I’m focusing right now is homing in on the brand of Caramelized. So that one day, whether Instagram is around or not, or the blog platform works or not, the definition of Caramelized is so understood that its application doesn’t matter.”
For now, the brand has seen consistent growth. Greenstein keeps her website up to date, but day-to-day content creation is most prominent on the Caramelized Instagram page (@cara_melized). Occasionally, she might even do an Instagram “takeover” for a different account to share a bit of her heritage. A recent digital excursion saw Greenstein appear on the Defined Dish, a blog based out of Dallas with around 400,000 followers, where she demonstrated how to make matzah ball soup for Passover. “The beauty of social media is that it’s not confined to a specific geography,” she says. “I am proud of where I’m from and love to tell the contemporary Southern story.”
Although Greenstein is always expanding her reach, the focus remains grounded around food. For a delicious summer dish perfect for the current climate, she recommends one of her favorite recipes: Sweet Corn Risotto with Grilled Shrimp. A frequent visitor to the farmer’s market, the idea popped into her head when buying fresh corn two summers ago.
caraMELIZED
Greenstein’s version of risotto flips the idea of the classic Italian rice dish. “It’s really bright and light, considering that risotto is traditionally seen as a hardy, almost winter preference,” she explains. After creating a traditional risotto, the addition of corn and grilled shrimp transforms it into a fair-weather dish. “To finish, add a nice touch of basil and micro greens, and suddenly you have summer in a bowl.”
While people aren’t out and about as much as before, the risotto utilizes many pantry essentials, making it an ideal choice for the shelter-in-place rule. “You can create a really beautiful dish using staples like rice and chicken stock,” says Greenstein. “If you don’t have access to fresh corn, canned corn works as well.”
Since the shrimp is prepared separately, it can also be swapped out for a different protein, making the dish highly adaptable for anyone with dietary restrictions. Greenstein describes the risotto as all-purpose when it comes to the ideal dining scenario. While sharing it with houseguests is off the table for now, it’s the perfect time to give the recipe a first run-through.
“It’s nice to have out on a patio with a glass of white wine and fresh salad,” she says. “It’s a really carefree dish that looks like something you would expect only at a restaurant.”
Caramelized
Sweet Corn Risotto with Shrimp
Although the original recipe calls for shrimp, the risotto can be prepared with any protein.
Sweet Corn Risotto with Grilled Shrimp
Serves 4-6
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups raw corn kernels (from about 2 ears corn)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup grated pecorino cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced in ribbons
1/4 cup microgreens
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium-sized, sturdy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add rice, cooking until slightly translucent for 2 minutes.
- Pour in wine and stir until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to pot, stirring constantly, until rice has absorbed all stock. Continue cooking, adding another portion of stock whenever rice mixture looks dry and stirring constantly.
- When 3 cups of stock have been added, stir in raw corn. Continue cooking until all of the stock is incorporated, corn is tender, and rice is creamy and tender, about 30 minutes.
- Remove risotto from heat and stir in pecorino and remaining tablespoon of butter. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in an even layer, seasoning with salt and cooking untouched for 2-3 minutes. Then flip and cook for 2 minutes more.
- To serve, ladle risotto in bowls. Top with 3-4 shrimp, basil, and microgreens. Add flaky sea salt and pepper to finish. Serve warm.
