Part of the fun of cooking and entertaining is creating delectable dishes without spending hours in the kitchen. That’s been the focal point Cathy Thomas’ cooking classes and award-winning newspaper features for over two decades. Her quick-to-prepare recipes show off her full-flavored style, using fresh fruits and vegetables to their best advantage.

Cathy is the food columnist at the Orange County Register. Her weekly columns and food features are nationally distributed on the McClatchy Tribune News Wire and frequently appear in newspaper food sections across the country.  She won the first place award as the best food columnist in the nation from the Association of Food Journalists (in the large newspaper division).

She is the author of Melissa’s Great Book of Produce.  Her newest book showcases organic fruits and vegetables and will be released in spring 2010.