Macy's continues to not only be a retail outlet but an ambassador for food. Celebrating a record 125 years of service, Macy's recently served a brunch with Cat Cora and other fellow Culinary Council chefs Tom Douglas, Johnny Iuzzini and Takashi Yagihashi.
Catherine "Cat" Cora was the first female Iron Chef on the Food Network and the first female to be inducted into the American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame. She has continued cooking as a television host, author, and contributing editor.
She's appeared in a variety of hit food shows, including America's Best Cook, NBC's Celebrity Cooking Showdown, and Food Fighters.
Windy City Times: Hi, Cat. Last time we spoke was when you were filming Bravo's Around the World in 80 Plates.
Cat Cora: Right—that was back in 2011.
WCT: How was that overall experience?
Cat Cora: I was just with a big group of the culinary staff from that. We talked about how amazing it was. It is sad that it didn't get picked up again but the budget was just so ginormous. Chase Bank was our major sponsor and they had a hard year that year. When you have a giant budget and don't find the right sponsor then there is not another season.
It was a great experience on the one hand. We were in 10 cities in six weeks. We had so much fun, Curtis Stone and I, and the whole glam squad. When we were off then we got to chill and see the world. It was amazing in that sense and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
WCT: I saw you were just in Dallas.
Cat Cora: I literally just got in 45 minutes ago. I ran into my hotel, ironed some things, threw on some makeup, refreshed my hair, and I was out the door!
WCT: And in these heels...
Cat Cora: I always gotta have high heels, yes!
WCT: Being from Mississippi, do you try to incorporate Southern style to your cooking?
Cat Cora: Some, but not much. I do love Southern cooking. I have enough background knowledge to take it and make it healthier. I love going back home and eating out but I grew up with such a Mediterranean background. Now being in California for so long now, over 20 something years, it is my first instinct. It is my soul food. Every once in a while do love to splurge on a great Southern meal. I don't do a lot of Southern cooking. You never know though, the tide can change any day!
WCT: Talk about working with Macy's Culinary Council.
Cat Cora: I am one of the originals. It has been 10 years from the very beginning. We keep getting these amazing gigs. I get to see al lot of my chef friends. We are doing incredible things like this, which is historic for Macy's with 125 years of food service. They were the first to do it in a department store in 1890, here in what was Marshall Field's. They do really great events. I think Macy's represents an iconic brand. It is very inclusive and I feel like my brand is the same way.
WCT: How was being on Chopped All-Stars recently?
Cat Cora: It was fun. I get asked to do quite a bit of the all stars show whether it is Cutthroat Kitchen, Chopped or Master Chef. I just judged something for Top Chef. I do a lot of those things. They are always crazy and nutty.
WCT: Isn't it stressful?
Cat Cora: It is a little stressful but I have done so many Iron Chef battles that I think I am used to it. I am competitive and have that in my nature, which most chefs do. Of course with charity you have an even bigger pressure more than going against your colleagues. I want to win. That is just in my nature. That is never going to go away. It will always be there. I think that is what makes it great for me. I don't want to lose that. It is part of my spirit.
WCT: The charity you created, Chefs for Humanity, is still doing very well.
Cat Cora: It is and we have some new projects that we are embarking on. We are really focused on the United States right now. We have ties with the White House and [its] programs. We are still fighting the good fight.
WCT: I knew you had plans to tour the charity with Cher.
Cat Cora: We did and then she got really sick. It was so sad and a real bummer for us because it was something we worked on for a long time. I was really concerned for her because she was very sick. I hope that if she does go back on tour we can reunite that. We have everything in place to do it. We just have to get her well and out on the road. C'mon, Cher!
WCT: I think she was just at the Met Gala.
Cat Cora: Then she is good, time to tour again. We need to feed some hungry kids!
WCT: Do you cook at home for your own hungry kids?
Cat Cora: I do cook at home all the time. People think I am crazy but it is easy for me. I want my boys to know that I have cooked for them and nurtured them. They get a hot breakfast every morning and great dinner every night. My wife is a very good cook, too. I taught her after we first met. On our first date, she burned three bags of microwave popcorn! [Both laugh.] She was so embarrassed.
WCT: Opposites attract.
Cat Cora: Yes, and we had cooking lessons 101. We are going to start with sauteing onions. Now she is a fabulous cook, matter of fact I steal some of her recipes. She is a little more patient cook than I am. She will put chicken on the grill and will not let me touch it. Chefs always have their hands in everything but she makes me leave it alone.
We love cooking for our kids. We want to build memories around food and smells. That is such a warm and comforting place for kids. I know it was for me. It is a really important part of our life, cooking and eating.
WCT: They made a video game about Iron Chef. Do your kids play the game?
Cat Cora: No; that was in 2006, so things have changed dramatically. Every once and a while the kids will play Wii, but that is it. It's all about the iPad now.
WCT: You should be the grand marshal for Chicago's Pride parade.
Cat Cora: Nominate me and I will do it. I have done grand marshaling before so I am good at it.
WCT: You have the wave down?
Cat Cora: Yes; I have the experience so no one needs to train me.
WCT: Would you like to write another book?
Cat Cora: I have a memoir coming out Sept. 18. It is called Cooking as Fast as I Can. It is a juicy tell all about my life. It is really raw and is going to be good. We have a lot of pre rave reviews, which is kind of shocking when you are just telling the story about your life. I know I am out there and a celebrity but I wondered if people would really want to read about it. When you get reviews from Publisher's Weekly like this I know something must be there. I know it is well put together and well written. People will see a whole new me.
WCT: We will have to do another interview.
Cat Cora: We will, because I will be on book tour and all of that. People will see the real Cat.
WCT: What did your wife say about it?
Cat Cora: She got to read it and edit it a little bit of what she wanted in and what she didn't. She will be happy with it. We are very different, like you said, "Opposites attract." I'm an aries and she's a pisces. She's a yogi and I am crazy out here with a triple A personality. She is more reserved and gets nervous. The book is not about trashing people. It is all about me. If anyone gets the spotlight on them it is me and my life.
Prowl over to catcora.com to follow Cora's adventures. To find Macy's locations, visit www.macys.com .
