Cooking as Fast as I Can: A Chef's Story of Family, Food, and Forgiveness - Hardcover

Cora, Cat

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1476766142 ISBN 13: 9781476766140

Publisher: Scribner, 2015

Synopsis

Remarkably candid, compulsively readable, renowned chef" "Cat Cora's no-holds-barred memoir on Southern life, Greek heritage, same sex marriage, and the meals that have shaped her memories. Before she became a celebrated chef, Cathy Cora was just a girl from Jackson, Mississippi, where days were slow and every meal was made from scratch. Her passion for the kitchen started in her home, where fresh feta and Greek olives filled the kitchen. She spent her days internalizing the dishes that would form the cornerstone of her cooking philosophy incorporating her Greek heritage and Southern upbringing--from crispy fried chicken and honey-drenched biscuits to spanakopita. But outside the kitchen, Cat's life was volatile. In" Cooking as Fast as I Can, " Cat Cora reveals, for the first time, coming-of-age experiences from early childhood sexual abuse to the realities of life as a lesbian in the deep South. She shares how she found her passion in the kitchen and went on to attend the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and apprentice under Michelin star chefs in France. After her big break as a co-host on the Food Network's "Melting Pot, " Cat broke barriers by becoming the first-ever female "Iron Chef." By turns epic and intimate, in "Cooking as Fast as I Can "Cat Cora finds courage and redemption in the dark truths of her past, captured in fluid, clarion prose. She chronicles how she found solace in the kitchen and work, and how her passion for cooking helped her to overcome hardships and ultimately find happiness at home and became a wife and a mother to four boys. Above all, Cat demonstrates the grit and grace it takes to achieve your dreams.

About this title

Review:

"In "Cooking as Fast as I Can," Cat Cora courageously shares how her passion for cooking helped her to triumphantly break through barriers her life. It is a must-read for those in search of true happiness."--Deepak Chopra, author of "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success"

""Cooking as Fast as I Can" is authentic and inspiring and written with a sometimes heart-wrenching transparency. It's filled with important truths about the gift of cooking and the blessing of courage and the strength required to forgive."--Kyra Phillips, author, anchor & correspondent, CNN, Documentary and Investigative Units

""Cooking as Fast as I Can" is honest, ballsy, relatable, and inspiring. And it's a fun read. I'd expect nothingless from Cat."--Gabrielle Reece, "New York Times" bestselling author of "My Foot is Too Big for the Glass Slipper" and "Big Girl in the Middle"

""Cooking as Fast as I Can" shows us the grit and perseverance it takes to succeed, not only in the food industry but in all aspects of life. No one achieves success without overcoming heartbreaking obstacles, and we get to learn how Cat Cora overcame all of hers with tenacity and optimism, in her compelling, page-turning, mouthwatering memoir."--Regina Calcaterra, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Etched in Sand"

""Cooking as Fast as I Can" is an inspiration--a wake-up call to those who believe that the professional kitchen is a man's domain. Cooking, like life, is not about sex, stature, age or orientation. It's about working hard, which Cat Cora has done since the beginning."--Michael Gibney, author of "Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line"

"Cat's story is not only a riveting tale of adoption and anamazing read about a chef coming into her own. It's also delicious, sticky, andsweet--the kind of story that makes you want to go back for seconds."--Marcus Samuelsson, author of the "New York Times" bestseller "Yes, Chef"

In "Cooking as Fast as I Can," Cat Cora courageously shares how her passion for cooking helped her to triumphantly break through barriers her life. It is a must-read for those in search of true happiness. --Deepak Chopra, author of "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success""

Cat's story is not only a riveting tale of adoption and anamazing read about a chef coming into her own. It's also delicious, sticky, andsweet the kind of story that makes you want to go back for seconds. --Marcus Samuelsson, author of the "New York Times" bestseller "Yes, Chef""

"Cooking as Fast as I Can" is honest, ballsy, relatable, and inspiring. And it s a fun read. I d expect nothingless from Cat. --Gabrielle Reece, "New York Times" bestselling author of "My Foot is Too Big for the Glass Slipper" and "Big Girl in the Middle""

"Cooking as Fast as I Can" shows us the grit and perseverance it takes to succeed, not only in the food industry but in all aspects of life. No one achieves success without overcoming heartbreaking obstacles, and we get to learn how Cat Cora overcame all of hers with tenacity and optimism, in her compelling, page-turning, mouthwatering memoir. --Regina Calcaterra, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Etched in Sand""

About the Author:

Cat Cora grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, and attended the Culinary Institute of America and worked in New York City before travelling overseas to apprentice in Europe with world-renowned French chefs Georges Blanc and Roger Verge. She settled in Napa Valley in her first job as a chef. After The Food Network discovered her in 1999, she went on to become the first female Iron Chef for the Network. She is the founder of the charitable organization Chefs for Humanity, a grassroots organization that mobilizes chefs to lend their skills to communities in need, and she has built a brand that includes two food lines, cookware a shoe line, cookbooks and restaurants, in Orlando, Costa Mesa, Houston, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Singapore. She lives in Santa Barbara.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scribner
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1476766142
• ISBN 13: 9781476766140
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 241