Kathy Christie was just five years old when she began watching culinary shows and playing with miniature pots and pans outside, using bits and pieces of nature around her to create imaginative dishes. Her childhood interest would ultimately evolve into a necessity to care for her family, and then into a passion that brings her loved ones together to unwind after a long day or celebrate an occasion.

A Lifelong Connection to Food

Dedicating over 28 years of service to Felician University, Kathy assumed her first role as the Assistant Director of the Felician College Child Care Center shortly after graduating from the institution in 1998 with her bachelor’s degree in history. She would go on to become the Director of the center for seven years before transitioning to her current role as the Administrative Assistant to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Despite balancing full-time work and raising a family of her own, Kathy refused to lose sight of her aspirations to create something of her own and inspire others to pursue their dreams.

The collective uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 put her goal to the test, encouraging her to bake delicious treats and other foods to uplift her family during lockdown. When her sons noticed her efforts, they suggested turning to social media to share her recipes with close friends and a broader audience.

As a nod to her love for using fresh ingredients and creating dishes tailored to each season, she chose the title “The Pretty Radish” to represent her food blog and Instagram account. Through these channels, Kathy shares photos of her creations and provides step-by-step processes for her recipes from beginning to end.

From Passion Project to Published Cookbook

Over the years, Kathy found herself not just photographing her dishes, but also documenting the ingredients she used, the produce she grew in her garden, and her trips to local farmers’ markets. Having long enjoyed reading cookbooks in her spare time, she felt drawn to contribute her own experiences for others to learn from and recreate in their own kitchens.

Kathy spent nearly seven months developing content for her book, coming home after work to measure, document, and photograph the entire process from ingredient to completed dish. Family dinner would sometimes have to wait until the perfect angle was captured.

When she was not whisking up her next recipe, she focused her time behind the computer, designing page layouts and editing copy. Though the process was tedious and time-consuming, she ultimately found it to be a rewarding step in her journey as an emerging chef.

Sharing Knowledge Through Hands-On Classes

Kathy has applied her book to the framework of her own cooking classes, where guests can create an entire menu based on its contents. Though she has only taught a handful of classes, the impact is clear. Cooking does not have to be difficult. It can be a rewarding, enjoyable, and affordable process for anyone willing to try.

One of her favorite engagement methods is inviting each guest to prepare ingredients while she explains the science behind each step. Kathy believes that by opening their minds and involving them from start to finish, she can redefine the purpose of the kitchen and promote it as an inclusive environment where all are welcome to experiment.

At Felician’s Older is Better, a program for those aged 55 and older, Kathy has led seasonal classes in assembling charcuterie boards for the holidays and identifying the best herbs for various spring dishes. She also held an informational session on what it means to purchase clean ingredients and ways to prepare fresh dishes that people can feel good about.

Looking Ahead
Kathy hopes to continue building her cooking journey by teaching more hands-on classes and workshops. Currently, she is developing an interactive menu planning workshop and aims to expand her social media presence by sharing tips and ideas that make preparing food feel less daunting, something all home cooks can relate to.

To view her website, click HERE.

Q&A with Kathy

Q: You’ve mentioned on your website that you enjoy cooking for your family. Is there a specific dish or recipe they always look forward to?

A: Actually, they have many favorites, which is what led me to write a cookbook. Being a seasonal cook, it’s tough to point to just one specific recipe because each season brings on fresh and different ingredients that are at their peak.  All these recipes are in my cookbook! In the spring, I would say my Buttermilk Ranch Dip and Dressing, full of fresh herbs and ingredients, is always a big request, as well as my Spicy Basil Pesto. In the summer, it must be my Eggplant Meatballs and Cauliflower Couscous. In the fall, hands down, Stuffed Mushrooms and Roasted Turkey Breast. In the winter, finally, my most requested is my Perfectly Roasted Chicken and Garlic and Chive Mashed Potatoes.

Q: If you could recommend one of your recipes to a stranger, which would it be and why?

A: I would recommend two that use a common main ingredient, buttermilk.  Those two are my Buttermilk Ranch Dip and Dressing and my Baked Buttermilk Chicken Tenders.  Add a salad to that, and you have a complete meal. You will not be disappointed and will never buy store-bought ranch dressing again!

Q: What moment made you realize you wanted to take up cooking as a hobby?

A: When I was five years old, I enjoyed watching Julia Child and Martin Yan create amazing dishes on PBS, and I remember playing outside with little miniature plastic pots and pans, making berry and leaf soups and mud pies.  That childhood interest became a daily necessity for me when I was a student at Felician and married with a new family at 19 years old.  Necessity was what drove me to prepare meals for my family, but my passion for it led me to become a better cook and baker and allowed me the ability to sustain our family in an affordable yet delicious way.  I learned early on that food was the best way to gather my young family around the table to talk about our days and solve problems together.  Throughout the years, full-time work, raising two sons, and caring for a home kept me quite busy, but I consistently cooked and baked for my family and friends, using it as a creative outlet and getting better at it along the way.  After work and on weekends, I enjoy reading cookbooks, learning new techniques, and creating new recipes. In 2020, my passion for cooking delicious meals and baking treats led me to share photos of my creations and start a blog to share my recipes.  Encouraged by my family, The Pretty Radish was born.

Get your copy of The Pretty Radish on Amazon!

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About Felician University 

Felician University is committed to supporting academic success at any stage of life. With over 2,800 undergraduate, graduate, and adult education students enrolled across the schools of Arts & Sciences, Business & Information Sciences, Nursing, and Education, Felician provides diverse learning experiences that equip all students with the skills to meet the demands of today’s society. Felician University was recognized in Newsweek’s America’s Best Colleges for Women 2026, earning distinction as the No. 1 college for women in New Jersey. Additionally, Felician has been named a best value school by payscale.com and Moneymagazine, and as one of the best college locations in NJ (#4) by niche.com. Our Master of Science in Nursing program is ranked one of the best online graduate nursing programs in the nation by U.S. News and the Princeton Review. We are proud to be designated as a Military Friendly School (Gold Status) for the fifteenth year, a testament to our dedicated support of Veteran students. Our diversity as an HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) and MSI (Minority Serving Institution), with underrepresented students comprising more than half of the student population, reflects our inclusive and supportive environment and earned us a spot on Washington Monthly’s Top 100 HSI list (#30). With campuses in Rutherford and Lodi, New Jersey, our Franciscan values of respect for human dignity, compassion, transformation, solidarity with people in need, justiceand peace are woven into the very foundation and development of tomorrow’s leaders. Felician University is sponsored by Felician Sisters International. For more information, please visit https://felician.edu/