Chef Ashley grew up in a large Italian family, where cooking was the center of their lives. At the age of 15, she was working her very first job in a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles. She graduated with honors from the Art Institute of Austin before moving on to become the sous chef of multiple country clubs. Chef Ashley still travels regularly to hone her craft and learn more about food, culture, and how those two intersect. Her sole goal in life is to teach people not only how to make food, but to remind them that a meal is never just a meal. It's how people come together.