As a young child growing up in Puerto Rico, I developed a strong passion for cooking from my mother. I would help her in the kitchen by mixing the ingredients and setting the table. It was a great way to spend time with her in the evenings, and we had a lot of fun, laughing and telling stories along with my father and mischievous younger sister and brother. My mother and I cooked all types of cuisines together, experimenting with various cooking techniques. I appreciated the connection between food and culture, and I believe that learning Indian cooking from my mother brought me closer to my own Indian roots. Besides spending time with my mother, I was drawn to cooking because I saw it as a way of serving others, and I enjoyed the sense of pleasure that a good, home-cooked meal brought to my family and friends. As I got older, I also began to view cooking as a form of art and took great pride in creating aesthetically appealing dishes.

My family and I moved to the New York City area in 1999, where I received my bachelor's degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America. After graduating from the CIA, I took a restaurant management course at the French Culinary Institute and I am certified as a Holistic Health Counselor from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University's Teachers College.

I have also worked and learned a great deal about fine dining by working as a cook at Jean Georges, a supervisor at Thomas Keller's Bouchon, and an assistant manager at Hyatt Group of Hotels.

I would like to share my passion for cooking with you. My goal is to make your cooking experience as fun and entertaining as possible in a relaxed atmosphere. My philosophy is that above all, cooking should be fun, just as I discovered as a young child in my mother's kitchen.

- Rama Ginde