Katie Heath
Location: Katie Heath lives in Nashville, TN. A native Chicago suburb sick of the snow.
Education: B.A. Communications, B.A. Spanish from Wheaton College, 2-time Division three National Champion in Soccer *part of the team not the star.
Expertise: Le Cordon Bleu Atlanta Culinary School Drop Out, Sales at Privately Held Financial Firm 9 years, Culinary Instructor at Culinary Experience Store, Cooking Camp Director.
About me
I’m a mom of three, and my love for cooking and eating started early, staging fake cooking shows and playing restaurant while my mom filmed me. Food obsession runs in my family. My Italian grandmother (whom I never got to meet), was an excellent Italian home cook, and my grandpa ran an Italian deli in Chicago. This makes sense now when my dad orders an extra entrée “for the table” and places it in the center of the table for all to try. You can never have too much at a Fichera family dinner.
I played college soccer and fell in love with a boy on the men’s team. He was the only boy I was allowed to date on the team according to my brother. After college, I attended Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta, but realized the restaurant life wasn’t for me. Through the years of working at an investment firm and building our family, I just fell more in love with cooking.
Pull up a stool at my counter
More than cooking, I love how food brings people together. No matter your culture, background, income, or country, eveyone’s gotta eat and everyone deserves a seat at the dinner table. My recipes are easy, tested, and passed through years of family group chats, emails, and homemade family cookbooks.
A friend of mine who passed away two years ago tragically in a senseless act of gun violence used to say, “I’m never good at something the first time I try it.” That inspired me to be ok with trying new things and being ok with not getting something right the first time. I hope that inspires you too to be ok with trying new recipes, inviting the new person over, messing up, and surprising yourself. I watch my kids do this every day, and I am trying to follow their lead.
Cheers and pull up a stool at my counter.
Questions or comments? If it’s mean please don’t send or I won’t be able to sleep tonight! Reach out at [email protected]
More random facts about me: 10 Truths and a Lie
- My kids are my inspiration. They are resilient because they get up every day and try new things, push through very hard situations, and generally just want to play and be happy.
- I had a stroke at 8 months pregnant. I would not recommend it.
- Thought I would get fired in 2008 when I started at an investment firm. I asked my dad who worked there, “Am I going to get fired today?” Without skipping a beat he said, “No, no we won’t fire you. You’re our cheapest employee.”
- It’s taken 18 years to leave and cleave as the Bible says. A true Italian hearted girl at heart, I once got in a horrible car accident with my husband. Wheels were blown out, windows shattered, and we flipped multiple times. When everything stopped, I turned to him in disbelief and said, “We need to call my dad.” My husband looked at me and said, “No, we need to call 911.”
- When we moved south we bought a house in Tennessee without me ever stepping foot in it because the real estate market was so hot.
- When I wake up I think about what I’ll eat or make for dinner. It’s slightly obsessive.
- I almost did not go on a second date with my now husband of 18 years because he didn’t order dessert at the Cheesecake Factory.
- My guilty pleasure is Starbucks, and I go every day. Sorry babe. It’s unfortunate we have a shared bank account.
- I’ve run countless half marathons and 2 full marathons. I’m still not skinny.
- I wrote a children’s book entitled, “Maya monkey makes eggs” and it’s in stores nationwide.
- Nothing makes me happier than when someone asks me to share a recipe.