When private chef Nicole Dragon left San Diego to spend the summer at her family’s house on Long Beach Island, she didn’t expect to end the summer with her own cooking show in the works.

About a year and a half ago, Dragon started posting recipes and food photos on her Instagram account, @the.food.dragon. This was a passion project for Dragon, who works full-time as a consultant, but has “always felt called” to cooking. As a child, she watched cooking shows instead of cartoons, she said.

Originally from North Jersey, Dragon spent her childhood summers on LBI.