Vanessa Roberts Parnham

Author, The African-American Child's Heritage Cookbook

At the early age of 4, Vanessa began her adventure in the kitchen. She cheerfully greased cake pans and mixed batter under the loving supervision of her watchful mother. At age 7, Vanessa was helping to cook fried chicken dinners, which she and her aunt sold in their modest apartment building in Harlem in order to raise money for the rent.

Vanessa continued to develop her culinary skills throughout her childhood, culminating with the acquisition of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Home Economics from Tuskegee University, Alabama. She went on to earn her Masters degree in Special Education from Atlanta University.

Since moving to Los Angeles in the mid-70’s, Vanessa has started a variety of successful business ventures, including Jan and Van’s Whistle Stop Café and Catering Service in Culver City, "Katering Klowns for Kids", a children’s party clown service, and a pre-school lunch program which provides hot lunches for hungry children. Vanessa also teaches cooking and nutrition to special needs children for the Los Angeles Unified School District and other community organizations.

Vanessa’s success has allowed her to provide much needed employment to underprivileged youngsters and retirees living on fixed incomes. In addition to her culinary and business expertise, Vanessa has always had a special interest in providing some medium by which her rich African-American cultural heritage might be retained and passed on to future generations. The African-American Child’s Heritage Cookbook, her most recent achievement, is an outgrowth of these combined talents and interests.

To quote Vanessa, "Cooking can be fun and exciting for kids". Just by being in the kitchen they learn math, time management, measurement and safety skills, not to mention a sense of responsibility. At the same time, they keep their ethnic cookery heritage alive for the next generation to enjoy."

Vanessa Roberts Parham resides in Culver City, California with her husband, Doug, an engineer, and their son, Robbie.

View featured titles by this author here: The African-American Child's Heritage Cookbook