Hello, I’m Elise Johnson and I’m so glad you found your way here! From my own experience, cooking and eating together as a family nurtures and strengthens family relationships quicker and stronger than any other way. There’s power in an hour!

Through my grandmother’s and parents’ loving illustration, I learned the enormous benefits of cooking with family and friends and gathering around the table for fellowship. Without distractions, our family enjoyed a home-cooked meal each and every night. This was a very important part of my childhood. I stuttered horrifically until I was about 17 years old. The time I spent with my grandmother in the kitchen and with my parents around the table was, I guess you could say, a substitute for language itself. I know the true power of cooking and eating together as a family. If cooking and eating together can transform a child who couldn’t speak, imagine what it can do for your family!

I am well-known for my cooking classes, TV cooking segments “Cooking With Elise”, blogging at www.CookingWithElise.com, as Chef Spokesperson for BJ’s Wholesale Club and for my commitment to the communities I live in. I have often said that if Emeril Lagasse and Paula Deen had a baby, it would be me! I enjoy the challenge of competing against highly trained chefs and also judging cooking competitions. My passion for and commitment to helping families understand the power of cooking and eating together has been embraced by corporate companies like BJ’s Wholesale Clubs, Quintiles, The American Heart Association, Cuisinart, Dean and Deluca, Lodge Cast Iron Manufacturing Company, Williams and Sonoma and Bosch.

My greatest joy in life is being a wife and mother.  I am also a contributor for television lifestyle shows such as My Carolina Today, Charlotte Today and Winging It! In Buffalo. I love traveling and enjoy my segments on news stations across our great country.  I am honored to be a national spokesperson/chef for BJ’s Wholesale Club. My online cooking videos, television segments, family stories, tips and great-tasting recipes can be found on this website and in my new cookbook, YOU NEVER COOK ALONE. This is not merely a cookbook filled with recipes, but a collection of funny, heartwarming and entertaining stories that prove that no one ever cooks alone! Order a copy of my book and you’ll see just what I mean when I say YOU NEVER COOK ALONE!

I live in the beautiful city of Raleigh, North Carolina with my husband, Michael, two sons, Nate and Alex and and my beloved cat, Isabel! My favorite food is ice cream — yup! What’s yours? I enjoy connecting with all of you, so welcome!  I look forward to getting to know you better!

Join me as I continue my grandmother’s legacy of inter-generational cooking by inspiring families and friends to make memories in the kitchen.