FIVE THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT: Laura Proctor

1. Proctor has her sea captain’s license and used to provide sunset charters for people.

2. Proctor has had many culinary related jobs in Sarasota including starting The Quay, a catering division of Jack’s Chop House Grill, working Celebration’s catering and for Marina Jack’s banquet facility as well as working for two years in Whole Food’s prepared foods section.

3. For six years, Proctor ran a kids cooking camp from her home called Kitchen Kids. The first lesson was always learning how to make breakfast. Kids come back from college, and they say, “Chef Laura, you taught me how to make an omelet, and I was only 7 years old!”

4. Her favorite restaurant is her own kitchen. “I am happiest when I am home cooking.” She also enjoys cooking out on the boat with her family, which usually involves fish and fresh vegetables.

5. During a trip in an RV to France, the family broke into teams to pick up food in a grocery store — the girls got the food for the main meal and the boys were in charge of beverages and appetizers. When the boys broke out the crackers, cheese and seafood pâté, they found the pâté to be very ripe. The boys gave it a go and when the girls asked about how it tasted; they said it was “a little fishy.” A few minutes later, they picked up the packaging, all in Spanish, and saw a cat smiling on the label. They were eating cat food!

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