Who are you?
First Name/Last Nickey Price-Moore
Hometown Houston, TX
Current City Houston, TX
Course of Study Applied Science Degree in Baking and Pastry
Year of Graduation 2011
“There is no sincerer love than the love of food- George Bernard Shaw”
What inspired you to become a chef? How was your journey to becoming a chef?
Before I enrolled into Culinary School, I worked in retail sales and at a customer service call center. I drove by the CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE® for 10 years. Each time that I passed it I would say to my kids, “I’m going to school there one day.”. I chose the Culinary Institute Lenotre because it had more to offer than the other schools. The curriculum was hands on, the Chef-instructors have lived all over the world and they brought that knowledge to the classroom.
My inspiration to become a chef came from 2 people, first, my grandmother Inetta “Kitt” Hall. She was one hell of a cook, she loved to feed people. She cooked for several families in the River Oaks and Tanglewood area. She was a “pinch cooker” she would never give me a pricise recipe, and my food never came out right. It wasn’t until I attended culinary school that I was able to learn the Art of “pinch cooking”. I can create food that taste like hers because I remember how it tasted. She passed away on my birthday 18 years ago which I think is a reminder for me to keep cooking. The second person is my Aunt Marie “Aunt Ree” Ingram, who was a pastry chef. I remember sitting under her kitchen table as a little girl watching her create sugar flowers, wedding cakes and homemade teacakes. She was a cook for the airlines.
What is the best memory you have as a student?
Elheme Elezi goes above and beyond to take care of the students at CIL. She is one of the reasons I stayed in school. She encouraged me to keep going, even when things got hard. Chef Manny helped deepen my love for food. He is very passionate and loves to teach those who are eager to learn. Since I have graduated, I’ve been able to call Chef Manny to discuss my career moves and to ask for advise; he is still my mentor to this day.
Do you have any projects in mind?
I am making vegan Thanksgiving dinners for my clients to take with them when they visit their relatives homes. They will not have to worry about whats in their food.
Any words of wisdom or advice for our students?
- Work hard
- Study recipes
- Don’t quit!
- Find the best kitchens to work in
- Volunteer for school functions, you will learn a lot