Florence Bertheau was born in Rozay-en-Brie, a small medieval town southwest of Paris. It was her father who instilled the "cooking gene" in her. In addition to his job as a bus driver and tour guide, he prepared the family meals with only the freshest ingredients from his garden. Florence began her professional career as an apprentice at Auberge Monpalaisir in Rozay-en-Brie and then worked in brasseries and restaurants in Paris. She moved to New York in 1985, working in many venues as a chef while attending college. She also assisted cookbook author and food expert Rick Rogers with recipe development, food styling and catering high end affairs. In the early 1990's, Florence moved to Los Angeles and started FoodFlo.