GEM CHEF

Currently a Tucson resident, Valerie Verkerke's style of cooking has had quite diverse influences, from the family table, mentors, restaurants, and much experimentation. Travels from Los Angeles to Hawaii to Paris, Jamaica to Washington DC to Piemonte and beyond color what she cooks and how she lives... Valerie has been teaching and catering for 30 years, and has worked under distinguished chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, Mark Miller, and Jeff Starr at such esteemed restaurants as City Restaurant, Malibu Adobe, The Coyote Cafe.