A note from Val,

I have always enjoyed cooking since I can remember. I believe it all started in the kitchen with my Mom when I was young. Mom showed me all the basics of how to prepare food, from baking to boiling to steaming. I caught on fast, and was good at ad-libbing or substituting ingredients. It was also my job to clean up the kitchen after dinner, which I did not enjoy.

It was no surprise that my first job was at a deli that made pizza, subs and salads. Through the five years I worked and managed the deli, I was everything from cashier to sub maker to pizza chef. I can honestly say I loved my job at the deli, but it was at this time that I started to have some health problems such as allergies and my prolonged battle with eczema. From the deli I went on to be an assistant manager of a restaurant and from there, I had a couple of house cleaning businesses.

Then, in 1993, I read a book that changed my life. It was Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy by Dirk Benedict. This down-to-earth book tells the journey Mr. Benedict took to heal his body of prostate cancer through changing his diet. This book introduced me to macrobiotics and the principles of energy. I highly recommend this book, it is not only about food but also about spirituality and letting go.

I then went to work at a macrobiotic cooking school, learning more about food and how to prepare it properly. I rediscovered my passion for food as I experimented with the all the new ingredients I was learning about. I started teaching my own cooking classes in 1998. I had heard from many people that healthy food does not taste good, so I set out to create dishes that were tasty as well as good for you. My students can confirm that I succeeded, and I also made the recipes easy to prepare so you don't have to be concerned about prep time.

Its been thirteen years now since I began eating whole grain foods and I am happy to report I have never felt better. My allergies are gone along with my eczema, and my energy is calmer. Remember, food is one of the most important parts of our existence. It makes up the blood that flows through every organ in our bodies. You have a choice which foods you put in your mouth. So please, make educated, smart decisions when it comes to food.

God Bless,

Val