Chef Cleophas has over forty years of experience as a professional Chef, Cooking Instructor, Cookbook Author, and Food Innovator.
In 1989 I decided to write my first cookbook, by consolidating all my family recipes and converting the recipes that I had developed over the years working as a Food Service Director. I have always enjoyed cooking and my mother started my training at an early age, when I was six I was Blue Bird in the Campfire Girl and make all the food for our Mother and Daughter Tea. My mother taught me and my siblings how to plan a menu, shop for groceries, clip coupons, look for discounts, cook, serve a meal, table etiquette, and clean.
I started my professional career through the Washington Air National Guard 1976, where I was trained to be a Food Service Specialist (Chef) at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver Colorado. After I graduated from Chef School, I started my career as a Food Service Contractor at Sandpoint Naval Base, as an Food Service Supervisor. I work as a Food Service Contractor in hospitals, military bases, industrial businesses and schools, from 1976 to 1990. During my years of working as an Food Service Contractor Manager/Director, I taught a number cooks and food service workers how to cook. This was something I really enjoyed doing, and I wanted to teach the average person how to cook.
In 1990 I was hired at Portland Community College, Natures, Bobs Red Mill, and at Community Events, as a part time Cooking Instructor. For over twelve years, January 1990 – 2002, I taught hundreds classes and taught thousands of students. For each class that I developed a cookbook for a each class and created new recipes that were healthy, pantry friendly, easy to prepare and with local ingredients. This was the birth of Cookin’ With Cleophas.