Walking into Dorothy Lane Market (DLM), the sense of abundance is immediate. Alongside fresh-baked bread and neatly stacked produce, there are plentiful prepared foods. Large kettles of homemade soups are made daily, and generous displays of expertly crafted deli salads are beautifully displayed, all thanks to the hum of chefs at work in the gourmet grocer’s large in-store kitchens.
Behind many of these beloved recipes is Chef Carrie Walters, the culinary director at DLM. Carrie is not only the chef who curates and oversees recipes for prepared foods found throughout the four DLM locations, but she is also the creative force behind the DLM Culinary Center and one of the masterminds who orchestrates food for some of the region’s most anticipated culinary events.
Long before she held the title of culinary director, Carrie was committed to celebrating ingredients at their peak and finding ways to make good food accessible to everyone. Originally from Chicago, Carrie travelled extensively with her husband, who was in the Air Force, allowing her to follow her natural curiosity about food and flavors. After landing in Dayton at DLM, Carrie was able to cultivate her position to create experiences for the community to do the same.
"I created this job, which somehow they let me do," jokes Carrie. "And 25 years later, here I am.”
Her career has evolved along with the market. Today, Carrie is passionate about what lands on the customers' plates in-store, what home chefs learn in culinary center classes and what guests experience at key events.
One of Carrie's proudest projects has been the DLM Culinary Center, a hub for classes, demonstrations and hands-on learning. The Culinary Center is a destination for locals to sharpen their skills, meet chefs and immerse themselves in the joy of cooking. With the addition of the second Culinary Center in Mason, that passion has even more room to flourish.
“We’ve always wanted the Culinary Center to feel approachable,” Carrie explains. “Now we will be able to bring even more people together.”
Chef Carrie also shines with the food menus she creates for so many of DLM’s ticketed events. Perhaps most well known is the endless stream of creative food stations and hors d’oeuvres at DLM's Food & Wine Show, an annual celebration that transforms food and drink into theater.
“Events like the Food & Wine Show are about more than just eating and drinking,” Carrie says. “They’re about creating an experience where people can revel in what food and wine can do when paired together thoughtfully.”
What sets Carrie apart isn’t only her technical skill or keen palate, it’s her philosophy that food is for everyone.
“With food, everybody is an expert, because we all eat,” Carrie tells us.
Thanks to so many passionate people at DLM, like Chef Carrie, it’s not only a grocery store but a culinary destination where people come to be inspired, learn and eat well. Even with a second Culinary Center, new classes to teach and the daily rhythm of DLM, Carrie shows no signs of slowing down.
“My husband keeps telling me to retire,” she says with a laugh. “But I’m still having fun!”
Fall Pretzel Pork Tenderloin by Chef Carrie Walters
Serves 4, Prep Time 10 minutes, Cook Time 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Pork
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 cups pretzel sticks
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
For the Mustard Dill Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 2 teaspoons honey, to taste
Directions
- Trim silverskin from tenderloin and cut on the bias into 2-inch thick pieces. Place cut side down and lightly pound into 1/2-inch thick medallions. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Set up a three-part breading station. Place flour in a shallow dish. Whisk eggs and Dijon in a second shallow dish. Using a food processor, process the pretzels into a fine meal and place the resulting mixture in a third dish. Dredge pork medallions through all three steps in this order.
- Heat 2 tablespoons each of the oil and butter over medium heat and sauté the encrusted pork until deep golden brown on both sides. This will take a couple of rounds, so remove completed pork from the pan and keep warm. Add additional oil and butter as needed to pan fry.
- To make the sauce: Mix all ingredients until well blended.
- Serve with the Mustard Dill Sauce.