In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Catherine De Orio — food & lifestyle media personality, former host of “Check, Please!” Chicago, executive director of the Foundation for Culinary Arts, and founder of Casa De Orio, a new media brand celebrating la dolce vita.

Catherine’s journey is one of reinvention, resilience, and creativity. From her early years in an Italian-American family where food focused on connection and nourishment, to her transition from litigator to culinary school graduate to national TV host, she shares how she’s turned every chapter into an opportunity to grow, serve, and create.



We dive into how she built a career at the intersection of culinary arts, media, nonprofits and entrepreneurship, how she’s shaping the future of culinary education through the Foundation for Culinary Arts, and what inspired her newest venture — Casa De Orio, a digital platform and lifestyle brand focused on food, design, travel, and finding beauty in everyday life.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Catherine transitioned from law to food & lifestyle media
• The origin story behind Check, Please! and how it shaped her career
• How food, family, and heritage shaped her creative voice
• The mission of the Foundation for Culinary Arts & the “Yes, Chef!” culinary camp program
• What inspired Casa De Orio & the future of digital lifestyle brands
• Advice for creatives on trusting your path and finding alignment

To learn more about the Foundation for Culinary Arts and support its mission, you can visit www.foundationforculinaryarts.org. You can follow FFCA on Instagram at @f4cachi.

You can learn more about Casa De Orio at www.casadeorio.com and follow on Instagram @casadeorio. 

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