Biography of Kathleen Daelemans

When it comes to healthful cooking and eating, Daelemans is "her own best advertisement," having lost 70 pounds when creating a new regional cuisine for one of the world's most luxurious five-star resort and spas, The Grand Wailea, in Maui, Hawaii. While at Cafe Kula, her restaurant at the resort, Daelemans cooked for and gave cooking lessons to such celebrity guests as Sharon Stone, Kathy Smith, Suzanne Sommers, and Paula Abdul.

Named one of the country's "Top Ten Rising Star Chefs" by John Mariani, chef Kathleen Daelemans's recipes have been showcased in respected food and wine journals including Bon Appetit (selected for its "Best of 1995" book), Wine Spectator, Gourmet, Food & ampWine, and Eating Well. Her work is also regularly featured in fashion and fitness magazines such Elle, Shape, Self, Harper's Bazaar, L.A. Style, Esquire, and House Beautiful. Roy Yamaguchi and others have showcased Daelemans's recipes in books featuring West Coast, Pacific Rim, and American regional cooking.

Daelemans has also been in constant demand to showcase her celebrated cooking at prestigious local and national food events and benefits. She cooked alongside culinary superstar Wolfgang Puck at the Ritz Carlton's annual Big Island Bounty culinary extravaganza and was invited to cook with five chefs from the United States and France including Joachim Splichal and Gerard Vie, for City-Meals-on-Wheels at New York City's Tavern on the Green.

Before joining Cafe Kula, Daelemans apprenticed at the Yosemite National Parks four-star Ahwahnee Hotel. During her three years there, she assisted visiting luminaries such as Larry Forgione, Narsai David, Ken Frank, Joyce Goldstein, and Marcel Desaulniers. She then moved to San Francisco's renowned Zuni Cafe where she spent four years working closely with chef/owner Judy Rodgers, learning the Provencal and Italian technique that laid the foundation for her unique culinary style.

Now 80 pounds down and counting, Daelemans is deeply commited to developing and strengthening farmer/chef relationships and emphasizing locally grown, organic, and seasonally fresh foods. The wholesome cuisine Daelemans features on her menus has won her a special award from the Hawaii State Senate as well as a devoted clientele.

Daelemans combines comedic banter and culinary wizardry with a modern, healthy sensibility on her Food Network Show "Cooking Thin with Kathleen Daelemans". Her techniques yield comfort foods that are outrageously delicious, and a repertoire of you'll-never-know-they're-low-fat meals which assemble simply and quickly. Her insights, recipes, kitchen tricks, and tips will enrich and entertain -- as well as help to shed pounds. Daelemans is the author of the New York Times best selling cookbook, Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen, 200 Easy Recipes for Healthy Weight Loss, Houghton Mifflin 2001. Her second book, Getting Thin & Loving Food! 200 Easy Recipes to Take You Where You Want to Be, Houghton Mifflin, was published in the spring of 2004.

Daelemans has been featured in several national satellite media campaigns and is active on the national lecture circuit. Her insights, recipes, kitchen tricks and tips enrich and entertain audiences nationwide. Committed to reaching as many people as possible with her message, Daelemans recently joined forces with Jerry Stackhouse's Triple Threat Foundation, a nonprofit network working in conjunction with the President's Council for Physical Fitness, the American Diabetes Association and the NBA to change the eating and exercise habits of American teens and their families.

Daelemans pens a weekly Ask Chef Kathleen column and is a sought after guest on the radio and talk show circuit. Daelemans is a frequent guest on NBC's Today Show and some of her recent publicity includes an appearance on Oprah and articles in House Beautiful, Fitness and Shape.