For many, cooking is a necessary chore. But for Lynn Nasal of Cranberry Township, cooking and reinventing recipes has become a favorite pastime.

One might say that Nasal's talent for cooking is in her genes.

"I just come from a family where everybody cooks," Nasal said. "My brother is a chef."

Nasal, a realtor by trade, uses cooking as a way to relax and be creative outside of work.

"I really use my cooking as a way to unwind," she said.

Though Nasal describes her cooking as just a hobby, her husband saw her talent as having potential.

After hearing about an Emeril Lagasse recipe contest, Nasal's husband encouraged her to submit her recipe for sausage and bean soup.

"He kept bugging me about it," remembers Nasal.

The contest requirements were only that Emeril's seasonings be used.

Nasal went to work, "kicking up" her soup recipe a notch with a hot pepper sauce and a seasoning mix with oregano, cayenne pepper, thyme and garlic. Soon she had the spicy recipe she was looking for.

"I have made the soup for years," she said. "I knew that it would adapt well to changing some of the ingredients and using (Emeril's) spices."

Nasal turned her recipe in by the contest deadline and then forgot about it, never expecting to hear back about her entry.

Months later, Nasal came home to find a large package at her front door. The package contained a set of Emeril's brand cookware.

The package, which came with no letter or explanation, puzzled Nasal.

At first, she thought she had won a food trivia contest at work, yet, after calling the contest organizers, she found that the cookware was not one of the featured prizes.

"It was probably two days when I looked at the packing slip," said Nasal with a laugh.

Nasal then realized that the package had been sent by the company that produces Emeril's brand products.

Contacting the company, she finally had her answer. She was one of 50 first-prize winners of the cooking contest.

Though she never expected to win the contest, Nasal would not hesitate to enter more contests in the future.

"I look at a recipe and I make it my own way," said Nasal, a method that has proven a winner at both a judges' panels, and at the dinner table.

½ pound bulk Italian sausage3 tablespoons olive oil¼ cup dry red wine2 large onions, chopped2 teaspoons Emeril's Essence3 teaspoons chili powder1 teaspoon dry mustard2 cups water2 (16 ounce) cans cannellini beans2 tablespoons dark molasses1 tablespoon honey1 to 2 teaspoons Emeril's Red Pepper Sauce1 can (28 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes with juicesIn a large pot, crumble and brown Italian sausage in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Remove sausage and reserve.Add wine to the pan and stir for one minute, scraping up any remaining sausage bits. Add onion and more olive oil if necessary.Cook for six minutes or until soft. Add Emeril's Essence, chili powder and dry mustard. Stir over medium heat for one minute.Puree one can of cannellini beans. Add pureed beans and water and stir until well blended.Add molasses, honey and hot sauce and stir. After a minute, add tomatoes with juices and remaining can of beans.While stirring, bring to a boil over medium heat. Add sausage and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking whole tomatoes into pieces.Makes 4 servings.

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed (or 12 frozen dinner rolls)1 egg, beaten1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese3 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mixCut dough into 1-inch pieces. In a medium bowl, toss dough pieces with egg. Add cheese and ranch dressing. Mix well.Place mixture on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into smaller pieces. Make sure mixture is well combined.Coat a 4½-by-8½-inch bread pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place the mixture in the pan.Cover with plastic wrap and let rise to the top of the pan. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.Makes 8 servings.