Cook credited her adopted family for instilling in her a deep and long-lasting appreciation of good food. "My mother"s side were Dutch-Russian Mennonites," she said. "Their cooking was wonderful. I loved eating pierogis and learning how to make borscht." Despite growing up in a happy home, Cook still felt out of place. "It wasn"t just being the only dark one in the family photos when everyone else was fair. I had this deep yearning for my culture that never went away."