Cook for Books Special Guest Judges

At a young age he is modest about his successes - winning a chef's competition at San Pellegrino, guest chef for a popular cable television cooking segment, penning recipes for cookbooks, and Executive Sous Chef for Lawry's, The Prime Rib.

Coming from a Mediterranean food background, Mo brings a true uniqueness to the table that is unlike many. His life is based around food and the art of cooking, and he says his true love is to develop and create world-class dishes every day. "I never tire of cooking ... it's not "work" to me."   (Excerpts from a Dallas Food Examiner article by Lea Lashley)

Chef Asdren Azemi

Owner and Executive Chef of Ruffino's Restaurant

Top 5 of his Class at The French Culinary Institute in NYC

Asdren Azemi’s career began when he was five years old. He was handed a broom (a small one) and he swept floors in his Papa’s kitchen.

Soon he graduated to stirring, whipping eggs and mixing. In his early teens, he was a bus boy and dish washer. As Chef Asdren tells it, “I liked the dish washer position best because there was no where to go but up.”

By the time Asdren was in high school his knowledge of exotic foods and spices was impressive. He used food vocabularies of older, more seasoned chefs. While his high school buddies were eating fast food burgers and fries, Asdren was preparing stuffed endive and Coho salmon.

After three years at Texas Christian University, his passion for food took him on a new path. Asdren enrolled in The French Culinary Institute in New York City. He graduated in the top five of his class and became the protégé of Bradford Thompson at Lever House in New York.

He returned to Fort Worth and took over his family’s business, Ruffino’s. Now the kitchen is his.

Statement from Chef Tiffany Derry's Publicist
Due to a business travel schedule commitment that extended due to circumstances beyond her control, Chef Tiffany Derry is unable to attend the September 25 Cook for Books event. She sends her deepest apologies for this scheduling conflict and hopes to do another event in the future to help this amazing cause that ensures reading and learning access to North Texas school districts.