"Cooking As Fast As I Can" author  Cat Cora  grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, attended the Culinary Institute of America, and worked in New York City before traveling overseas to apprentice in Europe with world-renowned French chefs George Blanc and Roger Vergé. After the Food Network discovered her in 1999, she went on to become the first female Iron Chef. She is the founder of the charitable organization Chefs for Humanity, and she has built a brand that includes food lines, cookware, and restaurants around the globe. She lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her wife and four sons. For more information, please visit CatCora.com.