There is nothing more comforting than the smell of a homemade meal cooking in the oven, good music playing in the background and the familiar chatter of family and friends. These traditional ideals are what initially inspired Ashley Christensen, award-winning Raleigh chef and 1998 alumna, to pursue a career in food.

On Tuesday evening in Hunt Library, Christensen fans packed the auditorium where the chef was interviewed by her former English professor, Cat Warren.

Christensen is the owner of seven downtown Raleigh restaurants, her first restaurant being the widely recognized modern diner, Poole’s. The diner first opened in 2007 and has been serving comfort classics made from fresh, local ingredients ever since.

“When I bought the lease for Poole’s Diner and walked into that space as the owner of that space I had no idea of what food specifically I wanted to cook, but I knew what I wanted to make people feel,” Christensen said.

Warren has been teaching English at NC State since 1995 after a successful career in journalism.

“I think that what Ashley has done has been really critical to building the whole restaurant industry in Raleigh,” Warren said. “There are leaders that help build the food movement. Ashley is one of those people, she truly is. She not only builds her own restaurants, she is extremely generous.”

When asked about her journey to success as a chef, Christensen reminisced about trying to cook in her dorm room at NC State, and entertaining and cooking for her friends. Growing up, Christensen was a food and music lover and originally looked into the music business before deciding to become a chef.

“Ashley really does have a good lesson to teach,” Warren said. “Ashley is about following her passion. People think the restaurant is glamorous, but it is really grueling work. What I think Ashley discovered early on was that she loved food and loved cooking. What I love about her story is that it’s not about a straightforward path to success. It’s about how doing what you love leads to success.”

After opening Poole’s Diner, Christensen continued to open Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, Chuck’s, Fox Liquor Bar, Joule Coffee & Table, Death & Taxes and Bridge Club.

“I think comfort is one of the greatest challenges, to make people feel comfort, nourished and celebrated in the moment,” Christensen said. “I think there can be a lot more to comfort than to more of the technically sophisticated food that exists.”

The event also featured Christensen’s recently published cookbook, “Poole’s: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner.” The book was available for sale throughout the night, and afterwards Christensen was available for signings. Christensen’s cookbook has gained national attention with a sparkling review from The New York Times.

“It’s a wonderful cookbook,” Warren said. “It had a great review in The New York Times,” Warren said. “I’m sitting there in my easy chair and shouting out my husband when I see something cool in the cookbook.”

Christensen noted that everyone reads cookbooks for a different reason, some read to follow a recipe, and some simply read to enjoy stories about food.

“When I read a cookbook, I read it and I look for described moments in cooking, and for the understanding of a new approach to an ingredient,” Christensen said. “I hope the word that comes to mind when people read it is ‘generous.’”

Hospitality is an important aspect in each of Christensen’s restaurants. The chef emphasizes that there are no customers, only guests in her restaurants. Christensen aims to make not only the food, but also the atmosphere comforting.

“This isn’t a transaction,” Christensen said. “Hospitality is a relationship. At the end of the day you have to figure out how to make the most of the few hours you have with your guests.”

Christensen is involved in many charitable foundations, including the Farm to Fork movement, which focuses on using ingredients from local farmers. She is also involved with the Frankie Lemmon Foundation and is a co-chair of the foundation’s annual fundraising event, Triangle Wine Experience.

“Her goal is to make people feel comfortable, to talk about both honoring good ingredients and making people feel welcome when they come into a space,” Warren said. “She’s just a fine person, that’s all there is to say.”