Many alumni discover their talents in the classroom. Others find it through career paths. For chef, cookbook author, filmmaker and television personality Valerie Azinge (BA ’12), it was a personal health journey that would reveal her gift for the culinary arts. What started as a fun way to share her fitness recipes, transformed into a dynamic digital culinary company that landed her offers to be on Chopped, The Social and Top Chef.
“I was a law clerk at a personal injury law firm and on the side, I had a food blog and Instagram page documenting recipes to reach my personal fitness goals by making things fun and interesting,” says Valerie.
After her blog and Instagram page started to gain traction, Valerie realized that she had a talent for transforming healthy ingredients into delicious recipes that everyone could enjoy.
“What ended up happening was my blog took off, and I got momentum and offers to be on the television show Chopped on the Food Network,” says Valerie. “I ended up starting a catering business and I thought this is something that I'm good at and I love it.”
While Valerie’s culinary career continued to flourish, she focused on expanding her skills. She officially became a chef, earned the The Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s Level 2 wine certification and received an offer to write a cookbook. She was also invited to be a regular guest expert on CTV’s The Social, where she would teach viewers how to pair various dishes with wine.
After a trip to Italy, Valerie was inspired to create a short film on the wine region in Italy, particularly on how wine connects to food and how we eat food. This experience would help Valerie discover her interest in filmmaking.
“It felt so organic, especially now that we’re in a social media era,” says Valerie. “I felt it was also a way to tell the story of not just food that I enjoy, but how others do it and how I’m inspired by other cultures.”
Valerie credits the film course she took at York for introducing her to the world of film, insights that she now implements in her documentaries.
“I took a film course called ‘Film, Television and Society’ that showcased how certain Hollywood movies influenced what was going on in society at the time,” says Valerie. “It’s not something that I thought would really kind of spill into the career I have now.”
Today, Valerie is applying what she learned at York to her first feature film on food and wine. The film will teach viewers how to immerse themselves in culture through food, wine and history while travelling.
When reflecting on her journey, Valerie emphasizes the importance of staying motivated and acknowledging the milestones you’ve reached.
“Do the very best you can to keep yourself in that space where you’re constantly inspired to continue,” says Valerie. "Never ignore the milestones you made, because a lot of the time you’re not where you think you’re supposed to be, and you ignore all the progress you’ve made.”