“For me, cooking wasn’t just a hobby growing up – it was a way of life.”
I was raised in a modest, tight-knit family in West Virginia, and each evening centered around the dinner menu. Eager to get involved, I began cooking with my grandma at the young age of 4. She would pull a stool over to the counter, I’d climb up, and help her make biscuits —
My grandpa had a beautiful garden and we enjoyed the bounty of vegetables it provided. His cousin raised cows and another cousin raised pigs, and we all shared our food. I quickly learned the importance of seasonal ingredients, values I have carried with me throughout my life and cooking career.
I co-host “The Kitchen” on Food Network along with Sunny Anderson, Jeff Mauro, and Geoffrey Zakarian, which airs every Saturday morning at 11am EST.
“The Kitchen” has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Informative Talk Show and Outstanding Informative Talk Show Hosts.
I am also the host of “Beach Bites with Katie Lee” on Cooking Channel, and a judge for Food Network’s popular “Halloween Baking Championship” series, “Meat Sweats” on FoodNetwork.com and the upcoming digital series “What Would Katie Eat?”. I can also be regularly seen on “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Best. Ever,” “Rachael Ray,” and as a contributor on “Today.”
My cookbooks include “Endless Summer Cookbook” (2015, also released in paperback as “Easy Breezy Eats: Endless Summer Cookbook”), “The Comfort Table” (2008), and “The Comfort Table: Everyday Occasions” (2009). My first novel, “Groundswell,” was released in 2011.
In September 2018, I married the love of my life, Ryan Biegel in a small ceremony on the Amalfi Coast at our favorite restaurant, Lo Scoglio. We live in the West Village of New York City and the Hamptons with our rescue dog, Gus, a Chihuahua mix.
Giving back is important to me
I am a board member of the Food Bank for New York City. I am a strong believer in wildlife conservation and I am an ambassador for 96 Elephants and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
In addition to cooking, I enjoy reading, drinking wine, watching the sunset, bad TV, puzzles, traveling, and eating pizza.