What were your favorite foods growing up?
Chicken Pot Pie & Mom's Chocolate Mousse.

Did you always want to be a chef or were you just inspired to help cancer patients?
My Grandmother was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 1980. At the time, macrobiotics was said to be the diet to aid in the cancer cure. My parents hired a private chef and overnight our house was filled with brown rice, cheese clothes and ginger. I was so curious how this was going to make my grandmother feel better.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
The Mercer Kitchen, NYC is where I interned, but my first paying job was 2002 as a private chef for a man with Parkinson's disease.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
Prior to training at The Natural Gourmet Institute, I was a TV commercial producer at various ad agencies in New York. I always thought acting would be a lot of fun.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
Health, Health, Health. In college I gave up red meat, mayo and butter just to shed the "freshman 15". Soon I was stir frying vegetables in my dorm and my friends were loving it.

How would you describe your cuisine?
Really simple flavors, no heavy sauces. With the right olive oil, Celtic Sea Salt & herbs you can make lighter foods really tasty.

What influences your cooking style?
The last six months, "The PH Miracle by Dr. Robert Young" has guided me how to effectively cook for my clients with cancer/disease.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
A "Silpat" for roasting, immersion blender for soups, and my salad spinner!

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
REAL salt & thyme.

Do your clients find it difficult to completely change their eating patterns?
Very difficult. People get attached to their fat free butter spread or their microwaves. To me if you want to improve your health, you need to give up a lot of the modern products that are processed and genetically modified, as well as nuking all the nutrients out of your foods that are benefiting your health.

What are the main foods you cook with to ensure that your food is alkaline?
A diet based on an alkaline only foods, mainly greens, low acid grains, such as millet, buckwheat and quinoa and no sugars, dairy or meat. I flavor with flax seed or olive oil, only use REAl salt, herbs,and fresh lemon juice makes its appearance in most of my salads.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
I got a call to cater a sit down dinner for a well known country singer and 15 of his buddies, they had had the menu planned and bought all the ingredients. When I got to the penthouse, the kitchen was strewn with huge slabs of filet mignon and racks of ribs. Thank goodness, my sous chef was a meat eater.

What is your beverage of choice?
9.5 PH water.

Because you are a vegan, what restaurants do you eat in?
One of my favorites is a health food market/cafe in Oceanside, Long Island called Jandi's. When I lived in Manhattan, I loved Angelica's Kitchen on the Lower East Side or Spring Street Natural in Soho.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Mis en place and take your time.

What do you eat when you are home?
Buckwheat Soba Tofu stir fry, sprouted grain tortillas with avocados and tomatoes, salads of arugula and romaine with lemon and olive oil dressing, and homemade vegetarian soups.