Khatira was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. She left her country when she was eight years old and moved to India before her family eventually migrated to Alameda, California. From an early age, her palate was formed by South Asia’s extraordinary blend of cooking traditions, its spices, curries, stews, and homemade breads. At 15, Khatira started her first restaurant industry job - and a worker's permit - at a Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco. For the next five years, she was surrounded by braised short beef Bánh mis, the sticky caramelized flavors of a clay pot snapper dish, the comforting noodle dish pho, and anything with vermicelli noodles. By the age of 27, she was the maître d' at Eleven Madison Park in New York. The richness, complexity, and elegance of French cuisine at Eleven Madison not only elevated her palate but also was the perfect introduction to her next move - from New York City to New Orleans, where she worked at Lilette and Sylvain.

Once Khatira started her own family, it became clear that working in the daily restaurant industry may not be sustainable, but her deep love for food and service remained. So, she founded a nonprofit in Los Angeles called Break Bread, where she and her team help teach foster teenage mothers how to cook. After their cooking lessons, they are gifted cookware and groceries to continue what they’ve learned at home. Khatira also prepares Thanksgiving meals every year for these families and fulfills their Christmas wish list. Her early years among large Afghan family gatherings taught her how to be resourceful and imaginative when it comes to her kitchen, but more importantly, how to cook with love. The second stage of her life - working at restaurants - sharpened her understanding of how a dish is conceptualized from beginning to end, and the importance of great service. This stage of life has been full of travels and new culinary frontiers, from Kyoto to Paris, Lisbon to the Greek islands, and the Caribbean, exposing Khatira to different traditions and brightening her palate in a way that only a life across borders can.