Made by Mom Gift Guide: Passion for food turns into Sarah Cecilia Good Food Company

Kim Hunter worked in marketing and sales for years, but she's always had a love of food and cooking. The passion started when she was a child, watching her own mother prepare food for the family.

"She made cooking and eating so comforting," said Hunter, a Raleigh mom of two. "We always had family dinners."

A few years ago, Hunter became more and more interested in food, especially items grown and produced locally. She was the first market manager at the Western Wake Farmers' Market in Cary, serving for three seasons. There, she got to know lots of local farmers.

From a commercial kitchen that she rents, Hunter makes enough for individual meals to parties. She does about 90 percent of the cooking, bringing in helpers when things get busy.

And work is about to get even busier for Hunter. The year-old business will soon make a major leap when Hunter opens Kimbap, a casual, moderately priced restaurant near downtown Raleigh. The restaurant will focus on Korean and Asian comfort food.

"I've wanted to do it for a long time," Hunter said. "It's something I've ignored for a while."

Sarah Cecilia will continue after the restaurant opens. She plans to grow and expand the business with a continued focus on local and sustainable ingredients.

"It's really important for me when I'm cooking for people to cook fresh good food that I feel good about serving," Hunter said.

And it all comes back to her memories in her mother's kitchen. The business is named after two mothers: Cecilia, the mom of a long-time friend, and Sarah, Hunter's own mother.