Gena Knox is an American food

Cuisine of the United States

American cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from the United States of America. European colonization of the Americas yielded the introduction of a number of ingredients and cooking styles to the latter...

 writer, cookbook author and entrepreneur. Her first cookbook, Gourmet Made Simple, was released in May 2008. She is also the founder of Fire & Flavor, a company specializing in grilling planks and at-home cooking products.

Career

Gena was born in Reynolds, Georgia

Reynolds, Georgia

Reynolds is a town in Taylor County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,036 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.75% is water. The town was said to have been settled first by Dr. Alfred...

, a small farming town in middle Georgia. Gena’s mother, grandmother and great-grandmother

Family

In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...

 were all talented cooks and she credits them for instilling a love for Southern cuisine

Cuisine of the Southern United States

The cuisine of the Southern United States is defined as the historical regional culinary form of states generally south of the Mason Dixon Line dividing Pennsylvania from Maryland and Delaware as well as along the Ohio River, and extending west to Southern Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.The most...

 and teaching her how to cook classic Southern dishes.

Gena attended college at the University of Georgia

University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...

, Athens, where she pursued a degree in Landscape Architecture

Landscape architecture

Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...

 and met her husband Davis Knox. After graduating college Gena started a catering

Catering

Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...

 business in Colorado and later completed a culinary program through Cooks Street Cooking School

Cooking school

A cooking school or culinary school is an institution devoted to education in the art and science of food preparation. It also awards degrees which indicate that a student has undergone a particular curriculum and therefore displays a certain level of competency...

 in Denver and Aspen. Gena then returned to Georgia to begin a career as a landscape architect

Landscape architect

A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....

 in Sea Island Resort on the coast of Georgia.

While working as a landscape architect, Gena remained an avid cook and became interested in a technique called “plank grilling.” She had a hard time finding retailers that offered the planks, so decided to make her own and officially founded Fire & Flavor with her husband Davis in September 2003.

In May 2008, Gena authored and published her first cookbook, Gourmet Made Simple. Also in 2008, Gena was chosen by Georgia Trend magazine as one of their 40 Under 40. Gena has appeared numerous times on Good Day Atlanta and other morning shows, and is currently a grilling

Grilling

Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been cut into slices...

 expert for AOL Food (http://food.aol.com) in the website’s ‘Summer Grilling’ Program.

Gena currently resides in Athens, Georgia

Athens, Georgia

Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...

 with her husband and business partner

Business partner

Business partner is a term used to denote a commercial entity with which another commercial entity has some form of alliance. This relationship may be a highly contractual, exclusive bond in which both entities commit not to ally with third parties...

, Davis.

External links

• Official Website http://www.genaknox.com
• Fire & Flavor Website http://www.fireandflavor.com
• Article on Gena Knox in Athens Banner Herald
  Athens Banner Herald
  The Athens Banner-Herald is a 32,000 circulation newspaper in Athens, Georgia, owned by Morris Communications.The newspaper traces its history to the Southern Banner newspaper that first published on March 20, 1832....
  
  http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/090108/bus_325968828.shtml
• Article on Gena Knox in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles http://www.atlantahomesmag.com/Atlanta-Homes-and-Lifestyles/May-2008/Fire-Flavor/