Chef Kimberly Van Kline

Chef Kimberly Van Kline has enjoyed cooking and the good feeling that food provides ever since she was a little girl. For as long as she can remember, her Grandmother’s kitchen was a gathering place filled with love, laughter and delicious food. Her Grandmother, who was a personal assistant and cook for famed Hollywood actress Margot Grahame, began teaching young Kimberly how to cook from the age of seven. By the age of twelve, she was preparing meals for the whole family. "My Grandmother used to say that the heartbeat of the home is the kitchen", says Chef Kimberly.

With her beloved Grandmother looking down on her and an entrepreneurial spirit, she decided to leave Verizon after 15 years to pursue life as a full time private chef. She launched her web-site "PassionForThePalate.com" in 2008 and by 2010; she had left her job for good. "I truly love what I do and would do it for free and have, so I decided to pursue my true passion full time as a business", she said. Since setting out on her own, Chef Kimberly has catered private functions for top selling rappers Common and Fabulous.

She has been featured on the "Steve Harvey Morning Show" as well as on numerous shows on the Food Network, including ”24 Hour Restaurant Battle” and is scheduled to appear on the networks highly acclaimed "Chopped” program. She also plans to use her love for cooking as a way to share her life experiences and bond with young girls and women. I want "Passion For The Palate" to be a vehicle through which I teach young women how to cook and allow them to express their love of food and themselves like my Grandmother taught me. Cooking kept me out of the streets", the Chef says with a smile. [email her]