Sara Foster (chef) facts for kids

Sara Foster is an American chef, restaurateur (which means someone who owns a restaurant) and cookbook author. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Sara Foster started and owns a popular cafe and market called Foster's Market. It first opened in Durham in 1990. She has written four cookbooks and has been featured in many national magazines. Since 1995, she has often appeared on TV shows like The Today Show and Martha Stewart Living. Sara Foster is well-known for using fresh vegetables and herbs in her Southern-style food. She also strongly supports using food grown by local farmers in her restaurants and in home cooking.

Starting Her Career

One of Sara Foster's first jobs was helping a French chef at the 1980 Olympics. After that, she worked as a chef in New York City. She cooked at a restaurant called SoHo Charcuterie and for a catering company.

In 1981, Sara graduated from the New York Restaurant School. She then worked with famous chef Martha Stewart for her catering business. Later, Sara Foster opened her own catering company in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Foster's Market Story

Sara Foster opened Foster's Market in Durham, North Carolina, in 1990. It was built in a place that used to be a lawn mower repair shop! Her market was one of the first places in the area to sell prepared meals made with local ingredients. They also offered special grocery items, coffee roasted nearby, and selected wines. The market also had a bakery and a full catering service.

When it first opened, Foster's Market was mainly a place for takeout food. But customers loved the food so much that they wanted to eat there! So, over time, Sara added tables both inside and outside. A second Foster's Market location opened in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1998. This second location was sold in 2013 and is now called "The Root Cellar."

Her Cookbooks

Sara Foster has written several cookbooks. They share her delicious recipes with people who want to cook at home.

• Her first cookbook was called The Foster's Market Cookbook Recipes for Morning, Noon and Night. It won the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Book Award in 2003. This award celebrates books that booksellers love the most each year.
• Her second cookbook, Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes from Foster’s Market, came out in May 2005. It became a Top 10 bestseller on Amazon and on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list.
• In March 2007, she released Sara Foster's Casual Cooking: Simple Fresh Recipes for the Way We Eat Today.
• Her cookbook Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen was released in April 2011.