Dawn Blume Hawkes

Dawn Blume Hawkes is the author of ChefChops.com. Dawn is a California-born, European- and American-educated cook and author. Living the bi-coastal and bi-continental life began with her parents transporting her from California to Boston to New York and back to California again, where she eventually earned her BA and master’s degree in English and design. Traipsing around the United States and subsequently crossing the continent to explore European lands, Dawn began attending classes in London, England, at the Ealing School of Art, Design, and Media, and started writing for various publications including the British weekly magazine of satire, Punch. Among these endeavors, she also took on the quest to travel and seek out instruction from the best European chefs offering regional cooking classes, which quite naturally led to an appreciation of the diversity of cuisines and the skills of the chefs.Dawn credits the influences of growing up surrounded by interesting people—writers, artists, explorers, and scientists, all of whom were accomplished cooks—to her sense of the high drama of food and entertaining. From the Felliniesque dining scene to the laminate-and-chrome kitchen table, plates slathered with mac and cheese (homemade, of course), her unsuspecting mentors presented her with the mysterious or simple possibilities of what a meal could be.”Dawn is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and the American Advertising Federation (AAF).Away From the Kitchen has a companion website at www.chefchops.com. Register to stay “in the know” on the professional and personal lives of America’s favorite, undiscovered, or unexpected chefs.