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.”