A hairstylist from NYC walked into a Food Network's arena with 99 other home cooks. That hairtsyist was me.

From Hair Extensions to a Viral Kitchen Moment

If you've been following Homecookvibe for a while, you know my story didn't start in a kitchen. For over a decade, I was a hairstylist in New York City - specializing in extensions, weaves, and wigs. That was my world. That was my identity.

Then I became a mom. And everything shifted.

My second daughter was born in April 2023, and after that I stepped back from the salon life - doing home visits and working from home to be present for my girls. We eventually made our way from NYC to Jersey, and just last April we planted new roots in Orlando, Florida. Life was changing in every direction.

But somewhere in the middle of all that change, something unexpected happened. A friend sent me a viral recipe and said, "Try this." I did. I loved it. I posted it. And somehow - 17 million views later - Homecookvibe was born. That was November 2023. I've never looked back.

Why I Almost Said No to Food Network

When I received an email last November asking me to apply to a new Food Network show, I almost didn't respond. I'm a home cook. Who was I to compete on national television? But my husband - who has always seen more in me than I see in myself - looked me in the eye and said, "Schedule the call."

I scheduled the call. A series of interviews followed. And then came the news: I was cast.

I was terrified. It was the first time I would be leaving my girls - ages 7 and 2 - for something that was entirely for me. On the flight there, I quietly questioned everything. But I prayed, I stayed focused, and I gave every single challenge everything I had.

About the Show: What is 100 Cooks?

100 Cooks is Food Network's biggest home cook competition ever.

100 competitors from all walks of life - firefighters, lawyers, stay-at-home parents - all going head to head in a stadium-style kitchen arena for a chance to win $250,000 and be named America's best home cook.

One kitchen arena.

One winner.

And me - a mom, a former hairstylist, a home cook who went viral by accident - right in the middle of it all.

I can't tell you how far I go. (Yet.) But I can tell you that I showed up as my full self, I cooked from my heart, and I am so incredibly proud of what I did in that kitchen.

What You Can Expect From Me This Season

Each week as episodes air I'll be right here on the blog - sharing the dishes, the behind-the-scenes moments, and the stories I couldn't tell until now.

Make sure you're following along on Instagram and TikTok @Homecookvibe so you don't miss a thing.

This community is the reason I kept going. I want you along for every step of this ride.

Tune in tonight - then come back here every single week.

With love from my kitchen to yours,

Kim Alexander - @Homecookvibe