Wendy Vaughan began cooking professionally six years ago at the Old Rectory in Llansanfraid, North Wales - the family home she converted to a small hotel with her husband Michael when he sold his motor parts company.

A graduate of New Trier High School, Trotter started cooking professionally in 1982 after earning a degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The country was in those days just becoming infatuated with food, and college graduates were just beginning to cook professionally.

Mr. Valenti, who began cooking professionally in Ithaca, N.Y., then came up with the idea of serving the pancakes with gravlax instead of the traditional blinis.

When she started cooking professionally in the early 1980's, Ms. Des Jardins was caught by a cousin in the act of vegetable vibing.

Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah), an employee in the cookware department at Kragen's Department Store in New Orleans, is a shy, unassuming woman who longs to cook professionally, and who records her dreams of a better life in a journal labeled "Possibilities."

Catherine's love of food started at an early age and she believes that she learnt most of her skills by hanging onto the apron strings of her mother, Mary (Byrne) who professionally cooked three meals per day for guests of Ballyknocken House from 1968 to the 90s.

Having graduated from New York City's Natural Gourmet Cookery School, Alexandra began cooking professionally in Milan, Italy.

Before I knew it, I had stopped cooking professionally.

She began cooking professionally out of necessity.