LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 10/05/06 -- Ann Gentry, leading vegan/vegetarian chef, cookbook author and restaurateur, has been named Executive Chef for Vegetarian Times, the leading vegetarian lifestyle and cooking magazine. In this position, Gentry will test recipes and contribute articles and her own recipes to the publication. Currently, Gentry also writes a regular column for the British publication Junior Magazine, one of the world's finest parenting magazines. "It is an honor to assume this position at a magazine that I admire so greatly. I have watched Vegetarian Times grow from a small publication into one that is an authority on great vegetarian cooking and living," said Gentry.

"From the moment I tasted Ann's food at Real Food Daily, I knew she would be the perfect ambassador for the magazine," said Mary Margaret Chappell, editor-in-chief of Vegetarian Times. "She's the rare gem of a chef who can make healthy, vegetarian fare deliciously accessible to all diners. I can't wait for her to share her expertise and recipes with our readers."

In 1993, Gentry opened her first Real Food Daily restaurant in Santa Monica, Calif., serving 100 percent vegan fare made with organic ingredients and local produce. Success soon followed, and she opened a second location in West Hollywood, Calif. After receiving ongoing requests for her recipes, Gentry was inspired to write her first cookbook, The Real Food Daily Cookbook (Ten Speed Press, October 1, 2005; $24.95, ISBN: 1-58008-618-7), which includes 150 of the restaurants' most popular dishes, including such favorites as the Yin Yang Salad with Peanut Sauce, Butternut Squash Soup and Lentil-Walnut Pâté.

With her recipes and cooking techniques, readers of Vegetarian Times can learn how to prepare the same great dishes that are enjoyed by health-conscious celebrities who are fans of the Real Food Daily cuisine, such as Jeremy Piven, Queen Latifah, Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Scarlett Johansson and Seal.

Because her creations are true originals, Gentry has been instrumental in raising the profile of vegetarian cooking nationwide. She has appeared as a guest chef at Canyon Ranch, Pritikin Longevity Center, Robert Mondavi Wine Center, LA Times Festival of Books, Central Market in Texas and the Environmental Media Awards.

For more information on Vegetarian Times, visit www.vegetariantimes.com. For more information on Ann Gentry, the Real Food Daily Restaurants or The Real Food Daily Cookbook, visit www.realfood.com.

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