# Fatima Ali > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fatima_Ali > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fatima_Ali.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatima_Ali > Source revision: 1353752892 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Fatima Ali** (August 8, 1989 – January 25, 2019) was a [Pakistani-American](/source/Pakistani-American) executive chef, restaurateur and television personality. She was known for her successful appearances on reality cooking shows [*Chopped*](/source/Chopped_(TV_series)) and *[Top Chef](/source/Top_Chef)*, and for posthumously winning two [James Beard Foundation Awards](/source/James_Beard_Foundation_Award) for her writing. ## Early life Fatima Ali was born and raised in [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan), dividing her time between [Karachi](/source/Karachi) and [Lahore](/source/Lahore).[1][2] She was educated at the [Karachi Grammar School](/source/Karachi_Grammar_School). Ali was the daughter of educator Farazeh Durrani and lawyer [Ashtar Ausaf Ali](/source/Ashtar_Ausaf_Ali), the [Attorney General for Pakistan](/source/Attorney_General_for_Pakistan) from 2016 to 2018 and again from 2022 to 2023.[1][3] She learned to cook from her father, her grandmother, and her family's cook, Qadir.[2][4] She immigrated to America at age 18 to attend the [Culinary Institute of America](/source/Culinary_Institute_of_America), graduating in 2011.[1][2][5] ## Career Ali began her culinary career as a junior sous chef at Café Centro in [New York City](/source/New_York_City).[1][5] In 2012, she won an episode of [*Chopped*](/source/Chopped_(TV_series)) ([Season 12, episode 2, "A Guts Reaction"](/source/List_of_Chopped_episodes_(seasons_1%E2%80%9320)#Season_12_(2012))) on the [Food Network](/source/Food_Network).[2] She continued her career in New York City, becoming the youngest executive sous chef at Stella 34 Trattoria at [Macy's Herald Square](/source/Macy's_Herald_Square), and then the executive sous chef at La Fonda del Sol.[5] In 2017, Ali was a contestant on [*Top Chef: Colorado*](/source/Top_Chef_(season_15)).[5] Although she finished in seventh place, she was voted the fan favorite.[5] ## Illness and death After competing on *Top Chef*, Ali was diagnosed with [Ewing's sarcoma](/source/Ewing's_sarcoma) and underwent surgery at [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center](/source/Memorial_Sloan_Kettering_Cancer_Center) in January 2018.[5] After undergoing [chemotherapy](/source/Chemotherapy), she was initially declared cancer-free, and in April 2018, she cooked in public at the [Pebble Beach](/source/Pebble_Beach,_California) Food and Wine Festival.[6] However, in October 2018, in a personal essay published by *[Bon Appétit](/source/Bon_App%C3%A9tit)* titled *I’m a Chef with Terminal Cancer. This Is What I’m Doing with the Time I Have Left*, Ali reported that her cancer had returned and become terminal.[7] She died at her family's home in [San Marino, California](/source/San_Marino,_California), on January 25, 2019, at the age of 29.[1][8] She was buried in [Lahore](/source/Lahore) in February 2019.[3] In April 2019, Ali was posthumously awarded a James Beard Foundation Award for her essay.[9][10] Her memoir, *Savor: A Chef's Hunger for More*, published in October 2022 and co-authored with Tarajia Morrell, received a James Beard Foundation Award in June 2023.[11][12] ## References 1. Mays, Jeffery C. (January 26, 2019). ["Fatima Ali, Fan Favorite on 'Top Chef,' Dies at 29"](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/26/obituaries/fatima-ali-dead-chef.html). *The New York Times* 1. Faruqi, Sara (June 18, 2012). ["Pakistani chef spices up American cooking show"](https://www.dawn.com/news/727515/pakistani-chef-spices-american-cooking-show). *Dawn* 1. Jalil, Xari (February 2, 2019). ["Chef Fatima Ali laid to rest by family and friends in Lahore"](https://images.dawn.com/news/1181782). *Images*. Dawn. 1. Ali, Fatima (January 25, 2019). ["Chef Fatima Ali Has Died of Cancer at Age 29; This Is Her Essay from Our Upcoming Issue"](https://www.bonappetit.com/story/fatima-ali-died-cancer). *Bon Appétit* 1. Rosenfeld, Laura (January 25, 2019). ["Bravo's Top Chef Alum Fatima Ali Has Passed Away After Her Battle with Cancer"](https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/top-chef-season-15-contestant-fatima-ali-dies-at-29). *[The Daily Dish](/source/The_Daily_Dish_(Bravo_TV))*. Bravo TV. Retrieved November 2, 2025. 1. Erica Chayes Wida (April 9, 2018). ["After battling cancer, 'Top Chef' star Fatima Ali returns to the kitchen"](https://www.today.com/food/after-cancer-battle-top-chef-fatima-ali-sells-out-first-t126725). *Today* 1. Ali, Fatima (October 9, 2018). ["I'm a Chef With Terminal Cancer. This Is What I'm Doing with the Time I Have Left"](https://www.bonappetit.com/story/fatima-ali-cancer). *Bon Appétit* 1. Goldstein, Joelle (January 26, 2019). ["Fatima Ali's Family Speaks Out After the Top Chef Contestant Dies from Rare Form of Bone Cancer"](https://people.com/food/top-chef-fatima-ali-family-speaks-out-after-death/). *People Magazine* 1. ["The 2019 James Beard Media Award Winners"](https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2019-james-beard-media-award-winners). *James Beard Foundation*. April 26, 2019. 1. Dubin, Alesandra (April 28, 2019). ["Chef Fatima Ali Posthumously Wins a James Beard Award: "She Belonged in That Room""](https://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/the-feast/fatima-ali-posthumously-wins-james-beard-award). *Bravo TV* 1. Pols, Mary (October 7, 2022). ["A Memoir From a Young Chef Who Fought to the Bitter End"](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/07/books/review/savor-fatima-ali.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved October 10, 2022. 1. ["The 2023 James Beard Media Award Winners"](https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2023-james-beard-media-award-winners). *James Beard Foundation*. June 3, 2023. ## External links - [Bravo TV: Fatima Ali](http://www.bravotv.com/people/fatima-ali) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fatima Ali](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatima_Ali) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatima_Ali?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.