Cat cora
Catherine ‘Cat’ Cora[1] (born c. 1968)[2] is a professional chef best known for her featured role as an “Iron Chef” on the Food Network television show Iron Chef America.
Biography
Cora was raised in a Greek community in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. Her grandfather and father were both restaurateurs.[1] Cat was inspired by Julia Child, Barbara Tropp, M. F. K. Fisher and her grandmother, Alma. Her cuisine is a blend of her Greek and Southern roots like her favorite dish Kota Kapama (Greek cinnamon chicken), and slow-cooked lamb shanks with feta salsa verde.
After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology and Biology at The University of Southern Mississippi, she enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.[3] Cora has also appeared on Simplify Your Life. She was also a cohost of the Food Network show Kitchen Accomplished. She has also coined the term Hellasian, referring to a fusion cuisine combining Greek and Asian cooking. She is one of the few female Iron Chefs in its franchise history (including the Japanese version of Iron Chef).
In January 2005, Cora co-founded Chefs For Humanity[4], which describes itself as “a grassroots coalition of chefs and culinary professionals guided by a mission to quickly be able to raise funds and provide resources for important emergency and humanitarian aid, nutritional education, and hunger-related initiatives throughout the world”.[5] She has also participated in charity wine auctions held by Auction Napa Valley.[6]
In 2006, she was hired as a paid spokesperson for InSinkErator Evolution series garbage disposals.[7] In partnership with 3 Street Media, she is developing The Cat Cora Show, a talk show devoted to food and wine which she will produce and host.[3] She is also Executive Chef for Bon Appétit magazine[8] and a UNICEF spokesperson[9].
Cora lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her partner Jennifer and sons Zoran and Caje.[2][10]
Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
* In March 2006, Cora was the Grand Marshal for Hal and Mal’s St. Paddy’s Parade in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi.[11]
* In the September 2006 issue of FHM, Cora was featured in the cooking section, where she demonstrated various recipes using items purchased from a convenience store.
* Cat Cora also belongs to Macy’s Culinary Councils, amongst Tyler Florence, Rick Bayless and others
* She has worked as an entertainer for Olivia Cruises and Resorts, a travel company catering to the lesbian market.[12]
* She has purchased a Salvador Dalí print at auction, which she describes as her “first piece of true artwork”.[13]
* The celebrity she would most like to cook for is Oprah Winfrey.[1]
* Cora was a winner of the Bon Appétit American Food and Entertaining Awards for 2006.
Books
* Cat Cora’s Kitchen: Favorite Meals for Family and Friends (2004). ISBN 0-8118-3998-2. Co-authored with Ann Krueger Spivack. Photography by Maren Caruso.
* Cooking From the Hip: Fast, Easy, Phenomenal Meals (2007). ISBN 0-6187-2990-9. Co-authored with Ann Krueger Spivack.
* Under The Olive Tree (in development) [14]
With the Superbowl fast approaching, people are excitedly making plans to have or attend a Superbowl party, and why not? What better excuse to have tailgating, party food in the warmth of your living room in front of that big screen TV you got for Christmas?
Food Network chef Cat Cora recently appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America to share a few recipes that just might be perfect for your upcoming shindig … her take on a Cheesesteak Sandwich, coupled with a recipe for Pizza Roll-Ups and Black and Tan Sweet Beer Custard. You can get all the recipes right here, but in the meantime, we’ve included the Cheesesteak Sandwich one. Enjoy!
Sunday Cheesesteak Sandwiches
with Homemade Provolone Sauce
Makes 4 Big Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy of Cat Cora’s newest cookbook, Cooking from the Hip
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1-1/2 pounds rib-eye steak, about 1 inch thick
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
4 crusty hoagie rolls, sliced
1 large onion, cut into paper-thin slices
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
homemade provolone sauce (recipe follows)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Heat a large cast-iron skillet (or any heavy skillet) over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to the pan. Add the peppers and mushrooms and sauté until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until it’s just the way you like it. Transfer the peppers, mushrooms, and onion to an ovenproof platter and place in the oven to keep warm.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the oregano, salt, and pepper to taste and sauté quickly. As soon as the seasonings are hot, sauté the steak for 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the steak and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare.
Remove the steak from the pan, place on a cutting board, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. With tongs, divide the meat among the hoagie rolls and top with the onion mixture. Spoon some of the cheese sauce over the meat and vegetables, cover with the top of the roll, and serve.
*Cat’s Note: If you want a traditionally cooked cheesesteak, wrap the rib-eye in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove the steak from the freezer and cut it into very thin slices. Sauté the slices in olive oil with oregano, salt, and pepper.