Many Valley vegetarians become geographically challenged when deciding whether to face east (Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York) or west (Greens) when offering salutations to the goddess of the garden. Sorry, Ithaca, but in the West's favor is Greens' San Francisco Marina location with a stellar view of the Golden Gate. Greens was launched in 1979 with Deborah Madison in the kitchen, Chef Annie Somerville is now the Executive Chef.

Laura Slama's journey to Greens began with a competition conducted by Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR). Each year the WCR works with a number of organizations to sponsor a variety of scholarships. Laura entered the competition for a week-long internship at Greens and won. She wrote in her winning essay: "I hope to learn new flavor combinations that dance on the palate and delight the eye." Sign up for Chef Laura's class and guarantee a treat for your eyes and tastebuds. (If you're a woman with culinary dreams, you'll find a full list of scholarships and internships available for WCR members in 2005 at the WCR Web site. Link below.)

Chef Laura kept a journal of her week in the Greens kitchen and it is a fascinating, witty read - full of all the frustrations and triumphs that go with life in a busy kitchen. (You can read the journal on her Web site.) She described her week to the folks at WCR thus: "In some ways, I feel that I started as a kindergartner and left a college graduate...." We know you'll agree that school lunches never tasted this good!