rom the age of 12, I was raised in the restaurant business. When I was in high school, my father asked me if I would consider taking over our family res- taurant. I told him that it would be a rainy day in hell before I would go into the restaurant business. Well, it must be pouring down there now. But, as you will see, my culinary experience is Unique. Although I am a chef, I am also a Franciscan Brother. The Franciscans are a religious order under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church. I joined the Order in 1968 and completed my training in 1976. During this time, I also at2 tended Washburne's Culinary School in Chicago, the oldest school of its kind in the United States. I graduated from Washburne's in 1973 and have worked as a professional chef since then. Ironically, it was my deteriorating health that led me to the kitchen. As a youngster, my diet consisted of hamburgers, french fries, and milkshakes, which was standard fare at my parents' restaurant. I suffered from lethargy, hypoglycemia, and other conditions of poor diet. Upon entering the seminary, Iweighed in at 198 pounds--an astonishing weight for me. I finally realized thatI needed to take an active interest in my health. What was so unique about thiswas that, as I was entering one spiritual path, my ministry was beginning tosurface, although I didn't realize it at the time. Meanwhile, during my first yearin the seminary, I studied nutrition, diet theory, and the basics of cooking; inthe process, I lost 60 pounds. With experience and growing knowledge, I began to view food as preventivemedicine. In 1976, I became a vegetarian. As a result of this new change, I de-veloped an intense interest in nutrition. Gradually, I became a vegan. By now,my diet has become my way of life. I no longer have to think about eating ac-cording to a particular diet, and I no longer think of my food choices as a "specialdiet." However, it took many years for this change to take place. My view to-ward eating evolved slowly with my understanding of what constitutes the idealdiet. For me, learning how to live has meant learning how to eat. Commitment to a healthy diet is important. But it is also important to re-