“I love you the most in the world, kid,” the chef added in an Instagram tribute
Credit: Alex Guarnaschelli/Instagram
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Key Takeaways
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Alex Guarnaschelli shared a heartfelt Instagram tribute for her daughter Ava’s 19th birthday
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Ava, who co-wrote a cookbook with her mom, has shown impressive culinary skills from a young age
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Fellow Food Network stars praised Ava in the comments, celebrating her growth and accomplishments
Alex Guarnaschelli is celebrating her daughter with a heartfelt birthday tribute.
On Sunday, July 12, the celebrity chef, 57, shared an Instagram post with a sweet image of her with Ava, who was born in 2007.
“Best day of my life,” she began the caption. “The day Ava was born. Today she is 19. No words. Ava: you have made me want to be a better person and a better cook too.”
“I love you the most in the world, kid,” she added. “Happy birthday.”
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Fellow Food Network personalities left comments with praise for Ava, whom Guarnaschelli welcomed with her ex-husband, lawyer Brandon Clark.
“Happy happy birthday, Ava!!!” wrote Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond. “ It’s been amazing to watch you become the cool, brilliant person you are. Keep being you!”
“Happy Birthday @avasimonec wishing you the best Birthday ever 🤗🫶🏽,” Baking Championship: Next Gen co-host Kardea Brown commented.
Ava has followed in her mom’s culinary footsteps even at a young age.
“She’s a really, really, fundamentally good cook. And she got there really on her own,” Guarnaschelli told E! News in 2020. “Like, people will say to me, ‘How do I get my kids to cook?’ And I’m just like, ‘If you’re just in there doing it and they watch you, they’re going to engage in it.’ “
However, the proud mom wasn’t sure whether Ava would pursue a career in the food world, noting, “She changes professions once a month these days.”

Credit: Kris Connor/Getty
In 2023, the mother and daughter released a cookbook together, titled Cook It Up.
“My daughter @avasimclark is 15 and even though she thinks I’m kinda embarrassing sometimes, she agreed to do a cookbook with me !!!!!” Guarnaschelli wrote in an Instagram post announcing the book.
At the 2023 South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the teenager spoke about her mom’s accomplishments during a speech.
“We gather here tonight to celebrate who people see as Alex, who I really just see as mom,” she said. “I’ve always been proud of my mom because deep down I know that my mom is such a dedicated person to everything she does, whether it’s shucking a hundred oysters or writing an essay on the French Revolution.”
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