About Tira`s Story - The Master of Perfectly Seasoned Food

Tira`s Story

Clients say she is the master of perfectly seasoned food! Her adventurous clients are appreciative of her breadth and creativity.

Tira Collins LOVES to cook! For several years, she hosted her own food festival, “Summerfest”, around the Fourth of July.

It started out as an annual reunion of close friends; but, in a few years, the event became so popular that it grew from ~50 people to over 300 people who traveled across the United States. The one-day event morphed into a 3-day event including a golf tournament, a fish fry and Bid/game party, and the actual Summerfest event. The diverse menu included Cincinnati hot metts, fried fish, a live seafood boil, Texas-style barbecue, New Orleans Style red beans and rice, Low Country Shrimp and grits, and much more. Cooking for hundreds of people is truly a labor of love! It was this passion for cuisine and love of bringing people together that led Tira to establish Comfort N Spice Personal Chef Service.

In 2005 Tira transitioned from a professional career in global technology development and deployment to a career in the culinary field. Her unique skillset combines business acumen with creativity, food knowledge, and an analytical mind (B.S. Mathematics – Xavier University, Louisiana; M.S. Operations Research – Northwestern University) to fuel a unique array of technique and flavor that satisfies the most discerning palates.

Food As Self-Care

Food as self-care and support has always been important to Tira. As a child, she loved to cook, often trying out her creations on family, friends, and neighbors. Preparing meals for her busy family made it easier for her family to relax and dine together. Dinners also included a few neighborhood kids who learned about her cooking and would magically show up around 6pm each day! Dinner conversations were open and fun as tasty and comforting food became the catalyst for discussion and laughter.

Tira learned many dishes from her parents, relatives from the Caribbean and Southern United States, friends, and her go-to- reference book, the “Betty Crocker Cookbook for Kids”! She traveled to many parts of the globe to learn authentic recipes from local families – the real experts. She learned by doing!

Tira completed her personal chef training in New Orleans and is a member of the American Personal and Private Chef Association.

Tira`s Experience

In addition to cooking and instructing, Tira’s culinary experience includes commercial recipe development and trade show support for global food manufacturers, full service, high touch fundraising and benefactor events, and developing food pairings as a private chef for a local winery. In her spare time, Tira occasionally writes articles for local publications, donates meals and supports activities for dementia facilities, reads mystery novels and cookbooks, crochets, and enjoys sports. She loves spending time with family and friends and she enjoys the arts, especially music and theatre. An active lifestyle is very important to Tira. Her favorite activities include Fluid Running, bowling, traveling, and conducting in-home wine tastings and food pairings in support of charity. And of course, Chef Tira enjoys studying culinary trends and taking classes to continually increase her knowledge and skill set.

She is fully insured, licensed, and nationally certified by ServSafe (Food Handler/Service Management certification for restaurants/commercial food handlers).