Tristan Heath, a VPM Create viewer from Mechanicsville, VA, was a co-second-prize-winner in the 2024 Create Cooking Challenge. Heath earned the award with his recipe for simplified Mexican chicken adobo, and he’ll receive $1,000 and production equipment to finance and produce a three-part web series of two-minute videos to premiere on CreateTV.com.
“After years of watching Create and coming to love so many of the shows, it was meaningful to become a part of the network/brand in a small way and to have my food judged by chefs I look up to,” said Heath.
The theme for this year’s event was “Easy Peasy,” which required contestants to use recipes featuring six ingredients or less. The winners of the competition achieved the goal of sharing new ideas for recipes with minimal ingredients while still creating tasty dishes.
Heath was selected from 100 entries submitted from across the country to compete for the opportunity to produce an exclusive digital video series for Create.
After finishing college, Heath attended culinary school in Hudson Valley. From there, he worked in several famed New York City restaurants. Since leaving New York, Heath cooks and creates content for his YouTube channel, “Cooking with Tristan.”
Claudia Veysel of Charlottesville, VA, who is also a VPM Create viewer, finished in the top ten of the competition by cooking manzanilla and gorgonzola tapas.
Create TV is a national channel showcases DIY programming of viewers' favorite public television series and specials on food, travel, home & garden, arts & crafts, fitness and other lifestyle interests. Create TV is produced and distributed by APT, The WNET Group and GBH Boston in association with NETA and PBS.
Find out how and where to watch VPM Create here.