Cooking as Fast as I Can by Cat Cora

  Cooking as Fast as I Can: A Chef's Story of Family, Food, and Forgiveness by Cat Cora. Simon and Schuster, 2015. Adult Nonfiction.


In one of the most honest and straight forward memoirs I have ever read, celebrity chef Cat Cora describes growing up in Mississippi, sexual abuse she experienced as a child, and what it was like to be lesbian in the deep South. Her adopted family's Greek heritage and her growing up Southern both influenced her cooking. Cooking was a solace and brought her challenges and happiness and became her life's work. Now married and a mother to four boys, Cat Cora describes her work, her mentors,  and her becoming the first female Iron Chef. Her positive attitude, love for family and food, and survival in hot kitchen all over the world combine in this fascinating story.