Food, mini menagerie provide inspiration for Mitchell County’s Lydia Griffin

BACONTON – For much of her life, starting with her family in Puerto Rico and later for her four children, Lydia Griffin cooked out of necessity. But along the way, she developed a love of making dishes from all over the world.

Griffin, who was born in Tampa, Fla., and now lives with her husband, Terry, a parrot, goat, chickens roaming the yard, several canine companions and Eddie the pig, near Baconton, listed German, Irish, Italian, Mexican and South American, Spanish, and Dutch cuisine among those she enjoys preparing. 

“My dad was the one who put me in the kitchen, since I was a little girl, to start learning the flavors and tricks you can do to spice the food good,” she said. “It just went from there.”

While babysitting at the age of 9, Griffin surprised her family by preparing white rice and pork chops.

“It was good,” she said. “That’s how it got started. By the age of 11 years old, I was working at a hot dog stand in Puerto Rico. I had four kids by age 22. That’s why I had to cook more.

“We’re a big family. My dad always owned a business with food. … Food trucks, he used to sell food on the beach. I started in the kitchen with my grandmother and my dad.”

Currently, Griffin is competing in the annual Favorite Chef competition. 

“We’re still in the wild card,” she said. “We’ve got the semifinals and some finals, too.”

In the event she wins the competition’s $25,000 prize, the budding entrepreneur has a dream goal in mind: opening her own restaurant. Barring that, she says she would like to start off with a coffee shop that serves her baked goods.

“I would like to open, like, a Caribbean/tropical buffet where everybody can eat anything and everything,” Griffin said. “If I can’t do that, I would start small with a coffee shop (and) deli and keep going.

“I would like to serve food for homeless people, giving a percentage to cook for them so everybody has a little bit from my hand.”

After moving back to Tampa, where she was born, Griffin worked in restaurants, at one time, she said, working as the hostess, waiter and cook in her own establishment.

Baking is the chef’s latest fascination and something she works at nearly every day. Griffin bakes her own bread, made with her homemade butter. She also makes her own ice cream and pizza. 

Neighbors order cakes and cookies and other baked items, and she also prepares food for outdoor gatherings and other events. She also caters. Individuals can reach her for services at (727) 648-8834.

“It (baking) is something I’m getting into now,” she said. “I think the products from the stores have too much stuff in them. Right now, I’m going to culinary classes to learn a little more tricks. I want to learn and keep growing with cooking and baking.”

After living for a brief time in Meigs, the Griffins settled in a home in rural Mitchell County.

“Four years ago, I decided to move to our dream home,” Griffin said. “The reason why is I wanted animals; we wanted peace. They keep me going on, pulling me toward my dreams of owning my own restaurant. I want more. I want horses, I want donkeys, whatever I can rescue.”

After Eddie the pig packed on too many pounds, his veterinarian put him on a diet, and that has meant food as medicine for the porcine family member whose weight topped 300 pounds before he was put on the diet. 

“I cook for him every day,” Griffin said .”I cook him stir-fried vegetables. I cook him Asian-style vegetables. I cook him oatmeal, brown rice, some eggs with vegetables in it. That’s how I help him lose weight, cooking for him.”