Recipe: Pide with Yogurt Dip

Recipe Inspiraton? I used to buy this bread at a Turkish market in Germany. I couldn't find it in the United States and started to make it myself.

Do you typically follow recipes or do you like to develop as you go or what? If nothing seems fishy (about the recipe), I cook the recipe one time exactly as is. If it is a good recipe, I'll set out to improve it the next time (or sometimes to dis-improve it!)   

When did you begin to cook light? I started to study for my masters in nutrition sciences. Later I worked as a scientist in child nutrition and found out that there is a lot of theory about light, healthy nutrition but often not good practical solutions. Finding these solutions is my passion and accompanied me even the last 12 years as a stay-at-home mom.

Overall, what did you think about the cook-off? It was a great experience. I read Cooking Light for several years. So it was great to see where the magazine is made and meet some off the people behind the names in the issue.  Everybody was super nice- magazine staff and other competitors-- I just had a blast.

How did you feel the day of the contest? Nervous? Excited? I came to Birmingham with the feeling that I won big time already. So I just enjoyed the show, not thinking too much about winning or losing ... until the photographer tried my bread and really, really seemed to like it and an other competitor asked me for the recipe ...That moment it kind of hit me, that I actually might have a chance to win. That evening in the restaurant I was nervous.

If there anyone you'd like to mention who had an influence on you in developing this recipe or entering this contest? My daughters Flora and Anika--who saw the contest flipping through Cooking Light --kept telling me what to cook and what not to cook They believed in me.