Food has always been a part of my life!
For as long as I can remember, food has been a big part of my life! I grew up with local parents that moved to San Francisco and enthusiastically experimented with every ethnic cuisine available. I’m sure that being from Hawaii and growing up in our own cultural melting pot was the foundation for their willingness to try everything. They were always pushing the kids to try new things and they never hesitated to try cooking them at home too! I have very fond memories of making home-made pizza, tearing into my mom’s fresh from the oven bread, my dad’s all day Chinese cuisine wok experiments, and just lot’s of home-made everything –so I guess it’s in my blood.
Moving back to Hawaii in my teens, I quickly acclimated to chili rice or chicken katsu plates (two scoops rice and mac salad, mmmmmmm). But since I’ve become an adult, I’ve shifted to being more health conscious, trying to strike a balance between eating right and exercising (I think I fall into the category of “exercise so I can eat what I want!”). What I’ve found on my own cooking journey is that healthy food can taste great, and the occasional calorie splurge is just fine.
All of this lead to a catering business,with private clients and a healthy-food student lunch program that is still growing. I've also enjoyed being a personal chef for KTA on the Big Island, developing recipes for them to share with their customers in their monthly publication. The opportunity to share my cooking with KTA shoppers over the last three years has been really exciting. We also have a dinner to go program, for those who love a great family meal but just don't have the time to cook! Twice weekly we're cooking delicious and healthy home-cooked style meals for families to enjoy. An now, we've just put a lunch wagon on the road, continuing on our philosophy of healthful eating with lunches that feature Genji mai brown rice, salad & fresh fruit with your main dish, along with a variety of gourmet salads.
