Toronto girl Gail Simmons is living the foodie dream. She’s a host on Top Chef, she works for Food & Wine Magazine, and she trained in some of the best kitchens in North America. But once, she was a girl in her early twenties trying to figure out what the heck she wanted to do with her life. Because she’s a kind soul, she’s written a book about figuring it out—tracing her journey from a young woman in Toronto, through the great kitchens of New York, to travelling the world and professionally indulging her passion. We caught up with her when she stopped by Coach on Bloor during Fashion Week to sign copies of her book.

From the delicious bite-sized desserts (salted caramel, anyone?) that were ferried on trays coordinated with the Coach accessories (by extremely handsome waiters, no less) to the friendly foodies who gathered to meet Gail and stip champagne, it was a lovely afternoon. Gail gave us some characteristically great advice about figuring out who you are, and turning that into a lifelong career.

“It really is all about how I went from being completely lost when I graduated college, having no idea what to with my life, to finding the most fulfilling, exciting life I could imagine,” Simmons explains. Sound familiar? If she had to give one piece of advice to young women who are feeling the same way, what would she say? “Don’t stick to your goals so much that you miss opportunities that are happening around you.” In a world where, she points out, most people invent there own jobs, it’s important to be open to opportunities in unexpected places. “I would never have gotten to do what I do if I hadn’t taken detours along the way. Each one taught me something different, it added to my resume, my arsenal,” she says. For that and more great Gail wisdom, pick up her book, Talking With My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater.

~ Haley Cullingham, photos by Becca Lemire