Me in a nutshell:

I grew up in a predominately Hispanic area in Los Angeles. My grandmother was polish, my parents Israeli and my life was… well… quite the mish-mosh of cultures, people and needless to say, food! With an absent mother and a hard working father, cooking for my sister and myself became second nature to me. I soon felt quite at home in a kitchen. It was my creative outlet and my safe haven. I was growing up in the biggest melting pot in the world so it was no surprise that diverse cooking became a way of life to me. It was a way to connect people to each other and a place to truly be myself. Every time i threw some garlic into a pan, someone appeared in the kitchen. The food that I made brought everyone to the dinner table and I realized how much food evoked a sense of family and unity.

When it was time to make a living, I pursued a “proper” career in the finance world and stayed there for years. It was safe and I made money but I eventually realized that I needed to change paths and follow what really drove me – food! When my baby boy Lukah was born, life gave me the push I needed to follow my dreams. My big break came with the opportunity to compete on Gordon Ramsey’s hit show MasterChef on FOX, and I proved to myself over and over that I really had what it took. After the show ended, I dove head first into the culinary world. Now there is no turning back! Food is my passion and I’m so excited to share it!