My mom and dad, Sherly and Jean-Rony, emigrated from Haiti in their teens and settled in South Florida, where I was born a few years later. As young parents, they were still figuring out life and faced the unique challenges of raising a child in a new country. Their unwavering work ethic and resilience inspired me from an early age.

Long before becoming the first lawyer in my family, I was a spirited only child growing up in South Florida. My early years unfolded in three tiny apartments. When I was six, we moved into our first single family home, which had a small yard and my own bedroom.

The heart of our home was the kitchen, where I learned to cook and enjoyed traditional Haitian dishes lovingly prepared by my mother and grandmother (and taste tested by my father and me). The nostalgic aroma of minced garlic and parsley hitting a warm pan of olive oil still brings back a flood of memories.

The matriarchs of my family inspired me to start cooking at an early age. My maternal grandmother, Dieudonne, cooked many of my favorite Haitian meals for me as a child (legume, stewed hen, and snapper). She never missed an opportunity to boast about her culinary prowess, which she honed back in Haiti. A towering figure, she was confident, incredibly loving, and sharp as a tack. Aside from height, we had a lot in common.

My paternal grandmother, Marie-Denise, loved cooking and gardening, which suited her gentle and nurturing spirit. Both of my grandmothers lived gracious, service-focused lives that were cut unfairly short. Wanting to find a way to honor their memories, I applied to compete on Gordon Ramsay’s competitive cooking show MasterChef with the purpose of telling their stories and continuing their legacy through food.

Today, I am a privacy lawyer working in public service and legal education in Washington, DC. Despite my demanding legal career, I continue to find time to cook. I enjoy coming up with creative weeknight meals and hosting gatherings for friends and family. When I’m not working or in the kitchen, I enjoy traveling with my loving wife, Emily, tending to our thriving urban garden, and doting on our gentle and curious orange tabby, Felix.

Catch me on season 14 of MasterChef, hosted by Gordon Ramsay. While thousands of home cooks apply each year, I was one of the lucky few invited to showcase my cooking talent this year. This season’s theme is MasterChef Generations, and I am proud to have earned my white apron!

What did Gordon and the other esteemed judges say about my food? Catch up on Hulu and watch new episodes Wednesdays at 8/7c on FOX. Follow my cooking journey at @Kamay.Lafalaise on social media platforms.

Hear more about my experience on MasterChef, and how I navigate my demanding legal career with my passion for cooking. Listen here: https://rankings.io/lawher/62-kamay-lafalaise