Melissa L. McCrea began her culinary adventure at eleven years old cooking for her single-parent family. A decade and a half later, she decided to feed a family of thousands and joined the US Navy as a cook. Stationed from the East Coast to the West Coast and traveling in almost every state in-between, she’s had a first-hand exposure to America’s cuisine.  She had always been a student of food science and history, so after the Navy she attended the Culinary School of Fort Worth. Now, she spends most of her time cooking for friends and family, volunteering for Meals on Wheels, doing cooking demos and competing in the occasional chili or gumbo competition. She lives with her husband in Fort Worth, Texas.