CELEBRATED
TRAVELER
FALL 2012
celebratedliving.com
88
CatCora
alreadyhadplenty
ofTVunderherbeltby the timeshebecame thefirst female
Iron
Chef
on theFoodNetworkcompetition in2005,but itrocketedher
intooutercelebrity-cheforbit.Now, thedaughterofGreek immi-
grants fromJackson,Mississippi, jugglesmultiplerestaurants,
hostsBravoTV’s
Around theWorld in80Plates
, is founderand
presidentofhercharityChefs forHumanity,writesbooks, sells
cookware,andevengodmothersacruiseship—see“Ship to
Shore”storyonpage22—all inaddition toraising fouryoung
boys.
CelebratedLiving
recentlysatdownwithher todish.
—ELAINEGLUSAC
FETAMEETS OKRA:
GreekandSouthern foods influencedall of
themeals inourhousewhen Igrewup, and theyarebothvery
present inmydishes today. It issohard tosaywhich I love
morebecause theyarebothsogood, butverydifferent.
I COULD ALWAYS STAND THE HEAT:
Mygodfatherowned restau-
rantsand, asagirl, I spent a lot of time there, in thekitchen,
around the food, in themiddleof all theaction. I loved the
vibe that I gotwhen Iwas there.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHEF AND AN IRON CHEF:
Youhave to
have theculinaryskillsand thechop tocut itonTV.
ONHUNGERMISSIONS TOHAITI AND ETHIOPIA:
I feel like it’sa
higher calling.Whenyou seeall of theneed in theworld, it
compelsyou togiveback.
WHAT’S INMY CARRY-ON:
When I’m traveling, I alwaysmake
sure tohavesnacks like fruitandnutsonhand. Idevelopedmy
CatCora’sKitchen restaurantswithairport-concessionaire
HBFasahealthyairportdiningoption for travelersbecause it
canbesodifficult tostayon trackwithnutritiouseatingwhen
you’reconstantlyaway fromhome.
MOST DELICIOUSAROUNDTHEWORLD IN80PLATES
DESTINATIONS:
Thereweresomany!Though I loved thecuisine inBologna,
Italy, the food inThailandwasprobablymy favorite.The
flavors inThai foodaresouniqueanddifferent fromanyother
cuisine in theworld.
BEST RECENT VACATION:
My familyand I justgotback from
Venice, Italy. I absolutely love it thereand itwasgreatbeing
able to takemychildren toexperience themagic.And the food
is fantastic!
THE SECRET OF AMASTERMULTITASKER:
Compartmentalizing is
anabsolutemust tokeeping trackof everything.
MY FAVORITEMEAL:
Theone Iget tohavewithmy family.
