Valerie Redman, author of the 1984 Australian Microwave Cookbook, has reflected on her extensive career in food and cooking, highlighting her early contributions to microwave cooking education in Australia. Redman’s cookbook, which has sold more than 100,000 copies across Australia and New Zealand, remains a notable resource for families learning to utilize microwave ovens effectively.

Redman, who has lived and worked in Glenelg, South Australia, spent much of her career researching and consulting for leading microwave manufacturers during the early adoption of the technology. She also taught microwave cooking classes statewide, appearing on television and radio programs both in Adelaide and interstate to promote the appliance’s culinary uses. Her book is catalogued in the National Library under the subject of Microwave Cooking in Australia (ISBN 0 85558 851 9).

Before migrating to Australia with her family, Redman trained in the United Kingdom where she earned a national bronze medal in food training and was made an honorary member of the Worshipful Company of Cooks of England. In Australia, she provided consulting services to various sectors of the food industry and conducted cooking classes at private schools and TAFE institutions well before such courses became widely popular.

Redman noted that while she had intended to produce further publications on microwave cooking, the merger of her publisher, Golden Books, into Little Golden Books—primarily a children’s book publisher—shifted the publisher’s focus away from cookbooks, interrupting her plans. Despite this, she believes her work played a significant role in shaping Australian attitudes and approaches to microwave cooking during its formative years.

Throughout her career, Redman has remained connected to developments in food trends, styles, and eating habits in Australia, considering microwaving a continuing and fascinating element of culinary life.