Meet Rita

Throughout my years as a food professional I’ve helped market many terrific products—and of course I continue to do so!
Rita Held

  • Recipe development: Nakano Rice Vinegars, Holland House Wine Vinegars, Tanimura & Antle produce, Meridian Vineyards, Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard, Frigo Cheese, Golden Grain Pasta, Nestle Beverage Co., Del Monte Foods, and ChefMaker among others.
  • Cooking demos and classes: Consumer shows for Sunset magazine and Nakano; radio and television for Holland House and Golden Grain; nutrition workshops for Golden Grain and student chefs at the Culinary Institute at Foothill College.
  • Cooking on the Web: Watch me cook for Nakano Vinegars. Streaming video and much more. For the video recipes, click on these links:
    • Go For the Mayo--lots of ways to make mayonnaise more versatile
    • Three Bean Salad--easy, fat free and dee-licious
    • Zip down to the bottom of this page for the Dragon Fire Grilled Steak recipe.
  • Websites: Developed the look, feel, navigation and content for the Golden Grain-Mission Pasta website, assisted by tech experts.
  • Appliances: Product testing, recipes and instruction booklets for FoodSaver vacuum packaging system (see special recipe below), and ChefMaker, a multipurpose food processor/blender.
  • Product publicity: Campaigns and media tours for Del Monte and Four Monks Vinegars.
  • PLUS... Check out my new blog GetCookingSimply.com. More food, less talk, practical kitchen tips, links to useful cooking resources. Weekly posts from San Francisco Bay Area food pros.

In addition…

  • Bachelors degree foods and nutrition; Masters adult education
  • Ten years Del Monte Foods/RJR-Nabisco corporate consumer services and test kitchens.
  • Past president and current board member Consumer Business Professionals of San Francisco
  • Active in International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), and San Francisco Professional Food Society

It all started …

My career in consumer products began with ten years in the test kitchens and consumer services department at Del Monte Foods/RJR-Nabisco. There, while promoting a wide variety of food and beverage products, my passion for food--and talking and writing about it--flourished. It was at Del Monte that I hatched the idea to team up with Suzanne and put my corporate experience to work as a consultant.

California is home

I live in the Santa Clara Valley where not long ago the fertile land was lined with rows of fruit trees and juicy grapes. This sun-kissed area, located 35 miles south of San Francisco, is now known as Silicon Valley. Although largely a high-tech community, the love of great food and produce is still a part of us. In this fast-paced environment the desire for convenient high quality food is obvious and palpable. My kitchen philosophy—simplicity with flavor—embraces this contemporary lifestyle and suits the needs of today’s busy families.

Recipes from My Kitchen

Here are some of my recent culinary creations.
The links will open PDF files in a new browser. Dragon Fire Grilled Steak with Tangy Wasabi
Dragon Fire Grilled Steak with Tangy Wasabi
Wasabi that’s just a bit sweet and tangy makes a smashing accompaniment for this flavorful grilled steak.

Grilled Portabello Mushrooms with Fontina Melt
Juicy, sweet-savory and luscious. Perfect for appetizers, first course or main dish.

Three-Way Chicken Cutlets 
If you buy large packages of meat and poultry from big box stores, you’ll love this recipe. In just 1-1/2 hours, you can prepare, bake, package, and freeze three different entrees using boneless chicken breasts. Each recipe serves four.