Welcome to Carol Bee Cooks! I’m Carolyn Stilwell, and here I share my love for creating easy, tasty recipes. You’ll find everything from pasta and orzo favorites to one pot meals and seasonal dishes. My goal is to make cooking approachable and fun for everyone.
About Carolyn Stilwell of Carol Bee Cooks
I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and have lived in several cities across the United States. I now live in Columbus, Ohio with my husband, Sam, and our puppy, Marty. I studied accounting and finance at Wittenberg University, where I also played college golf, and earned my master’s degree in accounting from The Ohio State University.
My professional background is not in cooking, photography, or content creation, but I have always had a passion for food. I have fond memories of baking cookies with my grandma, folding homemade Chinese dumplings with my parents and brother on Christmas Eve, and learning how to make my favorite dish of all time: buttered pasta. I became hooked on cooking shows in elementary school and still wind down most nights by watching food videos on YouTube.
When I’m not cooking at home, I enjoy trying restaurants around town to find flavor inspiration for new recipes. I’m also that person who spends hours meticulously researching every restaurant in a city before traveling somewhere new.
How I started Carol Bee Cooks
While working as a CPA in corporate tax, I started posting short clips of my cooking on TikTok and Instagram as a creative outlet. As I posted more, I began building an audience and learning more about recipe development, photography, and video. I created this blog to share the full written recipes for the dishes I featured on social media.
Carol Bee Cooks has led to opportunities I never imagined, including collaborating with brands I love, attending unique dining experiences, and being featured in several publications. Connecting with people who make and enjoy my recipes has been the most rewarding part.
My Recipe Philosophy
My motto is “easy tasty recipes”. Most of what I share are dinners I make after my 9–5 job, so I focus on recipes that are approachable and do not require hours of shopping, prepping, cooking, or cleaning. I keep things practical by:
- Using fridge, freezer, and pantry staple ingredients that you may already have on hand. Fewer trips to the grocery store for the win!
- Keeping prep and cook time minimal, with realistic times listed on my recipe cards.
- Minimizing the number of dishes. I love a “one-pot” recipe or sheet pan meal.
Pasta and Orzo Recipes
Pasta is one of my biggest inspirations in the kitchen. One of my most viral recipes, One Pot French Onion Pasta, is inspired by the flavors of French Onion Soup. I am also well known for my orzo recipes, having created multiple social media series focused entirely on this versatile pasta.
Fusion Flavors
I love discovering new flavor combinations or putting my spin on classic recipes! Some examples include:
- Chinese-Italian Creamy Chili Oil Pasta
- Miso Mushroom Bucatini
- One Pan Thai Curry Chicken and Orzo
- 30 Minute Miso Calabrian Chili Shrimp Pasta
- Gochujang Vodka Pasta
- Chinese-Italian Ragu
Get in Touch
If you would like to work together or have any questions, you can contact me at carolyn@carolbeecooks.com or fill out my contact form. You can also connect with me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest.
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