Cooking from childhood...literally!

Some women chefs got into the kitchen early in life....and found they didn't really want to leave. Here's some more about chefs Asta Pedersen, Julie Grandon and Sally McCarty.

Asta Pedersen, American Healthcare and Culinary Consultants

She graduated from culinary school, apprenticed in her native Denmark, and began her American culinary career making smorrebrod (Danish open-face sandwiches) at Scandia in Los Angeles. She’s also worked at Universal Studios’ restaurants, including Oscar, and catered large and small events for a host of celebrities. Now based in Prescott, she currently

teaches, does restaurant consulting, and catering.

How she got her start: “I grew up cooking. We lived on a farm and I learned that making lunch and dinner got me out of the fields. My grandfather persuaded me it was worth trying professionally.”

What she loves about it: “I love to eat! Isn’t that one big reason everyone does this?”

How the industry’s changed: “This field is becoming more popular with women. It’s a male-dominated field, for sure, but even in the 80‘s we had an all-woman line in our restaurant.”

What the future holds for women chefs: “The future’s always difficult to predict, but perhaps wages may catch up for women – in the kitchen as well as elsewhere.”

Julie Grandon, co-creator Torched Goodness

Years of cooking for family and friends, creating and trying recipes, helped persuade Julie Grandon to leave her career and the corporate world to work with her Le Cordon Bleu-trained husband, Eric Ireland, to open Torched Goodness. This unique, dessert-focused gourmet food truck offers a wild array of crème brulèe throughout Phoenix.

How she got her start: “My mother didn’t like to cook. I’ve always loved it and my mother let me into the kitchen when I was quite young. It just grew from there.”

What she loves about it: “I love looking for what’s fresh and new. Doing market-basket cooking is really an adventure and what we love most.”

How the industry’s changed: “I think there are more women entering the professional field, now, and you can see more and more women on the Food Network, where they’re even dominant in some times. I think this helps women see that there’s a real professional career possible in the industry.”

What the future holds for women chefs: “Most high-end restaurants still are run by male chefs, but there are also women moving into sous chef positions. There’s a shift coming, if women can be poised to take advantage of it. ”

Sally McCarty, Crybaby Ranch

A refugee from the corporate world, Sally McCarty opened a small café in San Francisco, where she soon stirred up a creative approach to ice cream. A veteran of several stints in pastry with San Francisco restaurants and catering companies such as Globe Eats, Out the Door and Paragon, Sally’s relocation to Phoenix soon inspired new ventures. She’s currently offering a range of products and pastries such as gourmet cracker JAX, salted caramel ice cream and a virtual rainbow of “boba-bubble” juices at farmers’ markets in Phoenix and Scottsdale

How she got her start: “I’ve always cooked, starting at age eight because my mom hated to cook. My uncle, who lived in Mexico, introduced me to chilies and chili recipes. He also taught me to like eating tripe, beef tongue and more.”

What she loves about it: “I love grocery stores and travelling to learn about unique local ingredients. And I love experimenting with flavor pairing.”

How the industry’s changed: “I don’t think it’s evolved as fast as it could or should for women. It’s still a man’s world in the back of the house.”

What the future holds for women chefs: “It will slowly change. We’ve got Cat Cora, Alice Waters, Nancy Oakes. It will happen – we’ll see.”

FnBs chefs dish about the kitchen!

FnB, one of the hottest new spots in Scottsdale, boasts two (count 'em) top women chefs: here, Charleen Badman, chef and co-owner, and Sascha Levine, sous chef, talk about how they got started in the culinary industry. They're both participating in C-CAP's next big event, Getting Our Just Desserts, Nov. 20, at the Art Institute of Phoenix.

Charleen Badman, co-owner and chef, FnB

Charleen Badman began her career with a program called FEAST (Food

Education and Service Training) in her Tucson high school. While still in high school, she interned with chef Donna Nordin at the acclaimed Café Terra Cotta. She also worked with Chrysa Robertson at Rancho Pinot in Scottsdale, and Anne Rosenzweig at Lobster Club in Manhattan, where she moved from line cook to chef de cuisine. Charleen’s worked at Del Pescatore in Italy and Chez Panisse in Berkely (Calif.), and ran her own restaurant, Inside, in Manhattan, before returning to Phoenix to open FnB with Pavle Milic.

How she got her start: “I really wanted to see how I could make dinner better. We weren’t always able to spend a lot of money, and I just thought there had to be a way to make food be better (tasting).”

What she loves about it: “Cooking good food in season. It makes me feel like I’m nurturing people. And when you’re in a busy kitchen, and things feel pushed, there’s a thrill there.”

How the industry’s changed: “This industry hasn’t changed as much as it should have. Every five years, it seems, there’s a big discussion among women chefs – it could be better.”

What the future holds for women chefs: “The opportunity to evolve is there, I believe. I hope the future is much brighter, and there will be more women counted among the top 10 chefs in the country.”

Sascha Levine, sous chef, FnB

A C-CAP scholarship sent Sascha to the Arizona Culinary Institute. While still completing studies, she went to work at Atlas Bistro, moving up to run the kitchen even before she

graduated. She’s also worked at Sol y Sombra, Over Easy, The Lodge, and Autostrada, and completed a six-month stint at Prado at the Intercontinental Montelucia Resort prior to working with FnB.

How she got her start: “I got into culinary studies in high school partly thinking that cooking could be a way out of Bullhead City. But I also come from a very food-oriented family. We always had dinner all together at 5:30, and both of my grandmothers are very good cooks.”

What she loves about it: “Food is a celebration of being with people. I feel very fortunate that I love what I do.”

How the industry’s changed: “It was hard to get the first job. I believe a huge revolution still needs to take place for women in the kitchen; there are times women can still be ostracized in the kitchen. It’s still (mostly) a male-driven machine.”

What the future holds for women chefs: “Just as with women’s role in society as a whole, women still aren’t receiving the same pay as men do in most kitchens. That’s just one reason it’s important to have events like this to spotlight women. Because there’s no lack of women in the industry.”

See more about the chefs participating in Getting Our Just Desserts in the November edition of Restaurateur of Arizona www.restaurateurofarizona.com/

At Just Desserts, an Iron Chef competitor assists, a well-established food maven contributes...

...Here's more about Julie Fiedler and Heidi Lee.

Getting Our Just Desserts, November 20 at the Art Institute of Phoenix, will showcase sweets and savories from around two dozen top women chefs from across Arizona.

Julie Fiedler, Iron Chef Competitor

A C-CAP graduate, Julie Fiedler holds a degree in culinary management from the Art Institute of Phoenix. Besides competing in the Food Network’s Iron Chef America series, she’s also competed in FHC in Shanghai, and The Big Cooking Contest in Innsbruck, Austria. She’s a top assistant with Getting Our Just Desserts, 2010.

How she got her start: “It was an accident! I loved to cook, and went to EVIT just to see what it would be like. Once I experienced working in a professional kitchen, I knew that was where I wanted to be.”

What she loves about it: “Being able to create something delicious that looks beautiful on the plate – it makes people happy.”

How the industry’s changed: “There are definitely a lot more women entering the industry – and I believe we are beginning to garner more respect.”

What the future holds for women chefs: “There are going to be more and more women in professional kitchens. Our competition team is mostly women!”

Heidi Lee, Into the Soup

Founder and owner of Into the Soup, Heidi Lee and her company educate and entertain with food and travel through all media channels. She promotes professionalism in the culinary arts through her support of chefs and chef-driven businesses and through regular appearances on radio and television.

How she got her start: “I was the only one among my friends in college who knew how to cook. Then I learned I really love being in the kitchen.”

What she loves about it: “I discovered early on it was possible to make boys like me when I cooked.” Seriously? “Well, I also found I loved being in the kitchen and hosting and teaching others, too.”

How the industry’s changed: “I think women are more accepted, but it’s still a man’s world. Women are, though, beginning to move into management.”

What the future holds for women chefs: “There’s still only one chick in the Iron Chef line-up. But there are more opportunities – and tons of women in pastry.”

Next: Charleen Badman of FnB dishes a little, Sally McCarty, too.

Getting Our Just Desserts

...And about time, too.

On Saturday, November 20, from 3 until 6 p.m., a showcase of culinary talent is set with nearly two dozen top women chefs from across the state.

The Art Institute of Phoenix, 2233 West Dunlap Avenue, hosts this stellar event , complementing fabulous food with a showing of top works from AIP students.

Tickets, just $35, available in advance from All proceeds benefit C-CAP (yes! A tax deductible dessert!)

http://www.blacktie-arizona.com/rsvp www.blacktie-arizona.com.

Meanwhile, we'll be posting quotes and notes from participating chefs - and we'll update this blog every day or so with new information. Photos, too.

First up, though, is some background about one of Phoenix' leading women in the culinary arts, Barbara Fenzl. Barbara's been an integral part of the culinary world for - let's say a good long time, emphasis on the good. Here's some more about her:

Barbara Fenzl, CCP, Honorary Chef for Just Desserts

Founder, in 1983, of Les Gourmettes Cooking School in Phoenix, Barbara Fenzl is anacclaimed cookbook author, magazine writer and television personality. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu (London), Ecole LeNotre andLubron Colelge, she teaches at schools throughout the U.S. and Mexico, and also in the Perigord region of France.

How she got her start: “My mother wasn’t a very good cook and I had free rein in our kitchen. While my husband was in law school, I was the only wife who cooked.”

What she loves about it: “You nourish people’s souls as well as their bodies. It’s important to remember the company is as important as the food!”

How the industry’s changed: “It was a very small community then – Julia (Child), Jacques (Pepin), Martin (Yan) were all in the kitchen, but it was before chefs became movie stars.”

What the future holds for women chefs: “The glass ceiling’s not gone yet, and working the line is still difficult. But the opportunities are getting bigger for women.”

Next....Heidi Lee, of Into the Soup.....

WAIT!! There's more....coming soon - kitchen tricks from top women chefs. AND - what do these women want for dessert??? You'll find out here.