Expert Chefs in the Learning Kitchen
Sylvia Thompson
Sylvia recalls an early morning call from her husband in 2003, “Okay, I’m alive, let’s be vegans!” Surviving a heart attack, he was sent home with a stent in his blocked artery and prescriptions for six powerful drugs “for the rest of his life.” Their vegan journey to reverse his heart disease started January 1st, 2004. Sylvia found nutrition and flavor in gourmet vegan raw foods made of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. In 18 months, her husband was off all medication. Realizing the need for gourmet tasting healthy food, Sylvia parlayed her passion into starting a weekly Meal Plan business, Licious Dishes, in 2007. Winning a Critic’s Choice, Star Advertiser Award in 2011, she opened a restaurant, Greens and Vines, in 2012, winning numerous awards and customers. Her food can also be found at the Farmers’ Markets, and at Fitness Centers where she delivers her weekly Meal Plans.
Mama T Gonsalves
Mama T is a passionate advocate of using sustainable practices to grow food organically and use food as medicine. “Ancient ways in modern days” is her motto. She came to Hawaii 12 years ago from San Diego on a singing tour. She quickly fell in love with the islands, the people, and the Aloha way of life, and feels very blessed to call Hawaii home. She teaches Food as Medicine classes throughout the islands and owns her own pop up restaurant open every Friday, called Mama T’s Ital Kitchen. She’s a private chef for celebrity clients and feeds the houseless once a month at the Next Step Shelter in Kaka’ako. Mama T has a background in early child development and directed inner-city youth programs in San Francisco and San Diego. Her passion is to teach healthy ways to eat and live and advocates that choosing native foods free of pesticides or processed with chemicals is imperative for sustainable health.
Edgar Edge
As a life-long vegetarian, Edgar’s chef experience crosses continents with interesting assignments that led him to meld tastes and spices from his many travels. He started in 1980 as a busboy in his native Toronto, Canada, and soon entered chef training. By 1990, answering a call to service by his Seventh-Day-Adventist Church, Edgar became Executive Chef of Newbold College in Bracknell, England. He spent two years in Thailand teaching English as a second language, and then came to Hawaii where he was Food Service Director at Hawaii Mission Academy. He next became Food Service Director for the Maxwell Adventist Academy in Kenya, and then traveled to Idaho, where he served as Food Service Director for Gem State Academy. In 2009 he joined Chateau de Boise as Executive Chef of fine dining at this senior independent living community. In 2012 Edgar came to Down to Earth, where he became Deli Manager of its Kapolei location. His success led him to the dual position of Deli Manager of the Honolulu location and Food Service Director of Down to Earth.
Kelly Stern
Kelly is known on Oahu for her mouthwatering vegan pies available by special order through her food business Goldilocks Grinds. A new awareness about eating animals awakened in Kelly at age 9 when she became a vegetarian, and she continued to educate herself over the years about health, nutrition, whole foods, organic farming, and factory animal agriculture. For over 10 years, Kelly has been preparing wholesome, plant-based food in restaurants, private catering, farmers markets, and her popular farm-to-table dinners with her business Yogarden in Waimanalo. Kelly specializes in locally sourced plant based cuisine that honors her own body, this planet and all the animals.
