Hey! I'm Cindy.
As a Taiwanese-American Dietitian and chef... I help Asian food lovers like you to reduce cancer risk and optimize recovery after cancer so that you can feel energized and confidently eat the cultural foods that you love.
I am a professional chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), recipe developer, food videographer, photographer, and food writer. I was professionally trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and studied nutritional sciences at NYU and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
After cooking in NYC at places including Haven's Kitchen and at silent meditation retreats, I have been teaching cooking and nutrition classes and cooking for families as a private chef.
My prior experience as a mechanical engineer working at a startup electric car company allows me to approach my culinary and nutrition work with a unique lens.
As a first-generation Taiwanese American and daughter of a chef, I grew up watching my dad (baba) and other chefs prepare Chinese American dishes for eager customers and intricate Chinese dishes for staff family meals.
At age 8, I relocated to Taipei, Taiwan with my mom after losing my dad to cancer. I dreamed about learning how to cook from him and have been chasing his legacy ever since. Have you ever craved a dish your parent made so badly, but you couldn’t figure out how to recreate it?
I totally get you because that was me.
I've spent 10+ years in the food industry learning the foundations of cooking and honing my taste buds mainly so I can recreate my baba’s cooking.
my nutrition expertise
In pursuit of becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), I completed my nutrition and dietetics studies at NYU followed by 1,000+ hours of supervised practice through the Cal Poly SLO dietetic internship program and passed a national exam. During my supervised practice, I worked at:
- Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in the Food Service and Clinical Nutrition departments
- Goleta Union School District Food Services and taught nutrition and food classes in 25+ elementary school classrooms
- The Ridley-Tree Cancer Center where I also created a nutrition education video on ways to eat more vegetables
- Santa Barbara Department of Public Health and WIC counseling patients and participants
- and more...
As a dietetics student, I worked with cancer patients at MSKCC for the Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities department. I’m super passionate about creating multicultural therapeutic recipes.
how I learned to cook
I have been cooking professionally since 2002, with my first line cook job at an L&L Hawaiian BBQ restaurant in Southern CA. Even though my bachelor’s degree is in Mechanical Engineering, I spent most of my undergrad years cooking full time while attending classes as a full-time student.
After working as an engineer designing parts for unmanned helicopters and electric vehicles in CA, I packed up my whole life in 2010 and moved to NYC to up my cooking game.
I attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY for formal training in the culinary arts. I soon realized that becoming a chef for a fine dining restaurant isn't my calling, so I left after finishing half of the program. Then, I spent 5 years in NYC working as a food stylist, recipe tester, line cook, caterer, culinary instructor, and private chef for families.
Some of the most memorable places that I've cooked at include Haven's Kitchen, NYC and the Dharma Drum Retreat Center for silent meditation retreats.
education and training
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Irvine
- Studied Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY
- Nutrition Studies at New York University
- Dietetic Internship with 1,000+ hours of supervised practice through California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
free cancer nutrition and cooking resources
Make sure to check out my free PDF guide that will help you nourish your body with confidence while eating the foods you love.
Get your FREE Guide on the 3 Key Nutrients to Help Reduce Cancer Risk & Support Your Cancer Recovery Today
Start nourishing your body with east asian food! Let's eat~
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Stop feeling like you have to eat peanut butter and apple slices… and start nourishing your body with culturally familiar foods that you’ll actually want to eat!
- CINDY CHOU, RDN