Who is The Great American Recipe star Suwanee Lennon? Details explored

Suwanee Lennon is one of the home cooks competing on season 4 of The Great American Recipe, hosted by Alejandra Ramos and judged by Tiffany Derry, Francis Lam, and Timothy Hollingsworth. According to PBS, Suwanee is a resident of Spokane, Washington, and a Thai food blogger, photographer, and storyteller.

"Born in Bangkok and raised in a small leprosy village in Surin, a northeastern province of Thailand, her early years were shaped by the bold, earthy flavors of Isaan cuisine," the website reads.

Suwanee, at the age of 13, encountered an American woman working in a refugee camp, who visited her village and chose to sponsor her journey to the United States. Thus, Suwanee started a new chapter of her life in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

The Great American Recipe contestant is a "wife to a retired Air Force pilot, a busy mom of two, and a passionate cook." She maintains a blog called Simply Suwanee, through which she captures the legacy of Thai cuisine and culture. She is also the founder of the Feed My Village project, which strives to support elderly patients suffering from leprosy.

With her passion for Thai cuisine and food in general, Suwanee participated in The Great American Recipe to showcase her skills and popularize the culture she grew up with.

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The Great American Recipe star Suwanee brings Thai roots to American kitchens

According to Suwanee's blog, Simply Suwanee, the home cook utilizes the platform to share "bold Thai recipes, heartfelt stories, and rich culture." While introducing herself, Suwanee wrote that her "life changed forever" when a "fearless woman named Rebecca" visited her village and brought her to the U.S.

She credited the Pearl S. Buck Foundation for her life-altering journey, thanking them for regularly visiting her village through the Korat branch in Thailand.

"I’m one of the many Amerasian children they helped—proof of the lasting impact their work can have. Because of their support and Rebecca’s love, I was given the chance to grow, thrive, and eventually find my voice — through food, storytelling, and giving back," she wrote.

While speaking about her childhood, Suwanee wrote that she grew up on the aroma of sticky rice, "grilled meats crackling over open flames, and chili pastes pounded fresh with an earthen mortar and pestle."

The Great American Recipe star said that she could still remember picking green papayas straight from the tree to make Som Tum, a tangy salad.

Although her journey to the United States changed her life for the better, she could not bring with her those recipes she grew up with. As a result, she had to teach herself how to cook Thai food all over again, using ingredients she could find in "small-town American grocery stores."

"It was through that slow, loving process—years of testing and tasting—that I found my way back to the flavors of home," Suwanee said.

Consequently, when she was cast in PBS's The Great American Recipe, she saw it as an opportunity to share her story and cuisine with the people, highlighting dishes that inspired her childhood in rural Thailand. Being part of the show allowed her to bring the "bold, authentic flavor of Thai food to a broader audience."

A self-proclaimed "home cook with a chef's heart," Suwanee is associated with the Feast World Kitchen, a nonprofit restaurant in Spokane that provides a platform to immigrant and refugee chefs from around the world.

"It was my first restaurant experience, and my Thai food quickly became one of the community’s favorites. I cooked meals that reminded people of Thailand and introduced others to flavors they’d never tasted before," Suwanee stated.

Aside from cooking and blogging, The Great American Recipe contestant is an award-winning photographer with her work published in magazines, guidebooks, a coffee-table book, and travel sites. She calls photography her "first creative love," something that allowed her to "speak when words, especially in a second language, weren't always enough."

Additionally, Suwanee teaches Thai cooking classes, hosts pop-ups, and shares food with different communities across the country. Those interested in learning about her recipes or her story can follow her blog, Simply Suwanee, or her Instagram, @simply.suwanee.

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The Great American Recipe airs every Friday at 9 p.m. ET on PBS.