Biography

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In 2005, Cat Cora made
television history on Food Network's Iron Chef America as the first and only female Iron Chef, and in November 2006, Bon Appetit Magazine bestowed her with their Teacher of the Year Award, an award she calls, “the greatest recognition she could achieve as a chef.” That month, she was also honored with
another great culinary distinction when she
was named Executive Chef of the magazine.

There is no doubt Cat’s upbringing had an
influence on her career. She was raised in a
small Greek community in Jackson, Mississippi,by a family for whom cooking and eating were the center of life. Her first cookbook, Cat Cora’s Kitchen, was inspired by her Greek and Southern heritage and contains many of her family's favorite recipes.

With advice from of her famous mentor Julia
Child, Cat left Mississippi for New York, where she studied at the The Culinary Institute of America. While in
New York, she apprenticed with and then
worked for Chef Anne Rozenweig at Arcadia
and worked at the Beekman Tavern under
Chef Larry Forgione of An American Place.
Cat’s culinary education continued in Europe
with apprenticeships with two of France's
three-star Michelin chefs, George Blanc
and Roger Verge.

After returning to New York, Cat sharpened her skills as a Sous Chef at The Old Chatham
Shepherding Company under Chef Melissa
Kelly. She soon headed to Northern California, where she served as Chef de Cuisine at Napa Valley's
Bistro Don Giovanni.

Cat Cora made her TV debut in 1999, as co-host of Food Network’s Melting Pot with Rocco DiSpirito. She went on to host My Country My Kitchen: Greece, Date Plate, and was one of the featured hosts on Fine Living’s Simplify Your Life.

Prior to Iron Chef America, Cat was co-host
of the Food Network show, Kitchen Accomplished, where she worked with a design expert and contractor to surprise a homeowner with a three-day kitchen makeover. In 2006, Cat appeared alongside Wolfgang Puck in NBC’s Primetime Miniseries, Celebrity Cooking Showdown, where celebrities were paired with famous
chefs and competed in a timed cook-off à la
Iron Chef.

Cat is also known for her
philanthropy. She is President and Founder of
Chefs for Humanity, an organization which was
founded in response to the 2004 Tsunami
disaster. Modeled after Doctors Without
Borders, the not-for-profit gathers the culinary community together to raise funds and provide resources for important emergency, educational and hunger-related causes. Additionally, she recently became the nutritional spokesperson for UNICEF.

Cat recently launched her second book, Cooking From The Hip: Fast, Easy, Phenomenal Meals, which applies her "go-with-what-you've got" philosophy to create simple, yet sensational meals.

PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent PFP is a speakers bureau and booking agency providing Cat Cora speaker, personal appearance and endorsement information. Booking Cat Cora for appearances, as a motivational speaker, keynote speaker, for a fundraising event, grand opening, television or radio commercial, PR campaign or trade show is easy through our agency. For more info, contact Cat Cora through PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent at 1.800.966.1380.