photo by steed media service

As a child, Chef Shimi honed her culinary craft by watching her mother prepare meals in their kitchen. No cookbooks. No measuring cups. But the ingredients were always fresh.

"She never really used a lot of salts and always used healthy ingredients," says New York-based Chef Shimi of her initial culinary experience. "I adapted her style of cooking and put my little twist on it for everyday eating."

Chef Shimi's distinctive twist has since pleased the palates of international celebrity A-listers and food critics alike. Her first break came when she catered an event for then-start-up King magazine. From there, word of mouth led her to acquire a client list that reads like a who's who of Hollywood, including supermodel Naomi Campbell, screen siren Vivica A. Fox and private parties for Emmy award-winning producer Mark Burnett.

"I think what's helped me is that I did something that most caterers don't do. If there's a gig in L.A. or Miami, they would hire me to travel for them," says the modest chef in explaining her mega success.

Although Chef Shimi specializes in healthy gourmet with a Southern twist, she's able to prepare almost any type of food, oftentimes just by looking at it. She's also looking to share her culinary craft with the masses and introduce a new generation to healthy cuisine that doesn't compromise on taste.

"Teaching the young is one of my concerns and working with them and showing them a healthy way of eating. Still the same foods, just a different way of eating them," she says. - adam jones

To contact Chef Shimi, send an e-mail to sshhcatering@gmail.com.

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