After 6 months, David Wood promoted me to Chef. It was a dream come true! During the five years there, I opened two more David Wood Food Shops and co-wrote the David Wood Food Book and the David Wood Dessert Book. During that time, I discovered that I had an aptitude for teaching and put it into practice at Dufflet's Great Cooks Cooking School, a venue for Toronto's top chefs. In Vancouver, I continue to teach at Tools and Techniques in West Vancouver the Cook Shop in City Square and Caren's Cooking School.

After five years at the David Wood Food Shop, it was time to take a break and I spent the winter of 1990-1991 in Cuernevaca, Mexico as a private Chef. In the spring of 1991, I accepted a job offer at the West Vancouver Capers location. After a year there, I was eager to engage in other Vancouver cooking adventures and moved to the Raintree Restaurant.