by Norma Olizon-Chikiamco

"As a food scientist, she sought to reduce the Philippines' dependence on imported food, pioneering new ways to use local products. And that was before she became a war hero." --New York Times

This delightful children's book follows the life of Maria Orosa--a pioneering woman scientist who studied food science in the United States then returned to a war-torn Philippines and created super-nutritious foods to help her nation in a time of crisis.

A champion of native products from her homeland, Orosa is celebrated for her daring war exploits as well as her scientific inventions. Today she is honored and remembered for:

• Sneaking food into World War II internment camps concealed in hollow tubes of bamboo
• Working as an undercover agent in the underground forces fighting the Japanese occupation
• Developing new ways to preserve seasonal products in a time of grave food shortages, including making vinegar from pineapples, flour from cassava and ketchup from bananas-- all now staples on Filipino tables
• Transforming vitamin-rich rice bran, previously a waste product, into tasty disease-preventing desserts
• Organizing rural-improvement clubs, inventing the palayok or clay oven and developing delicious recipes for coconuts, soybeans and a range of native plants, vegetables and herbs