Airis Johnson on grandma's cooking, being a "Chopped" champion, and going from line cook to leader

Hungry for More : an Epicurean's Dilemma

Airis the Chef takes the spotlight in this light-hearted, real and honest conversation. She grew up in New Orleans with a grandma who cooked most of the meals and a mom who she credits for exposing her to not only food, but life experiences. It was in college that Airis - not being a huge fan of the cafeteria food - decided she wanted to do some cooking of her own, her dishes getting rave reviews from friends. Her path led her to New York City where she enrolled in nighttime culinary school. After getting fired from her first job, an opportunity at Whole Foods really set her on her path of working in kitchens. It wasn't all pretty, as she explains, and says she learned quickly it would have to be up to her if she wanted to grow in this industry. She went from line cook to executive chef almost overnight and she says all of the stepping stones, and all of the jobs has really set her up for where she is today.