This past Monday I got the chance to catch up with Philadelphia's top chef Jennifer Carroll at Kiehl's LifeRide For amFAR Launch. For those of you wondering, amFAR is a foundation that is dedicated to putting an end to the AIDS epidemic worldwide, and has been doing so since 1985. In partnership with amFAR, Kiehl's embarks on it's second annual charitable event to help raise $100,000 to help find a cure for AIDS. In this interview with Ms. Carroll, she explains how she got involved with the foundation, as well as a brief background of herself.

Aside from you being a Philly native, what background do you have in culinary?

Once I graduated from the Restaurant School here in Philly, I've worked all over the place. I was previously at Le Bernardin with chef Ripert for five years. I am the chef de Cuisine at 10 Arts by Eric Ripert at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia.

Ok and for the people who aren't aware, you have a small background in law: how did that come about?

Well, I don't actually have much experience in law (laughing). I was in college for pre-law and then decided to leave that, and go into my culinary career and follow my dreams.

What is your involvement with Kiehl's and the amFAR foundation?

Well, they called me up and asked if I'd like to partner with them. I believe in it. It's a great cause. One of my uncles has AIDS. I am more than happy to be a huge supporter of this charity.

How do you incorporate style and the presentation there of, into your dishes?

The first thing everybody says is you eat with your eyes, so your dishes need to look good in order for them to take it to the next level. The food needs to taste good at the end of the day, but if it looks good and beautiful it's just right there; it's even better.

Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration comes from within. My work ethic pushes me every single day to learn, grow, and to always want something more. Right now, my next goal is to have my own restaurant and hope it's successful. Hopefully, from there I can take on more restaurants. Until I reach that point, I'm pushing myself hard from here on out.