Chef Ruth Van Waerebeek

Teaches at Cooking by the Book

Chef Ruth Van Waerebeek (Chef Ruth, for short) combines a love of travel, adventure and the culinary arts with a talent for communicating those passions verbally and in print. Born in Ghent, Belgium, Ruth learned to cook, as so many do, at the side of her mother, grandmother and great grandmother. This accumulated wealth of generational wisdom would eventually lead Ruth on an extraordinary expedition around the world, one that continues to this day. In 1985 Ruth, then 25, set out on the adventure of her life, sailing the Atlantic on a small two man yacht. During stops in Africa, South America and the Caribbean, Ruth supported herself through work in restaurants and exclusive resorts. In every location she made a point of studying the local culinary traditions, in addition to enjoying the unique culinary experiences each had to offer. After a decade in New York, Ruth headed south, eventually settling in the provincial town of Melipilla in Chile's central valley, where she founded a small restaurant with the assistance of Chilean friends. In Chile Ruth swiftly acquired an even greater appreciation for Chile's natural abundance of produce and seafood, and a new found awareness of the country's exceptional array of fine wines. Since 2000, Ruth has served as consulting chef and culinary advisor to Concha y Toro, the preeminent name in fine quality Chilean wines. More recently, Ruth opened her spacious and welcoming adobe style home in the foothills of the Andes as a guesthouse and cooking school. Here at Mapu Yampai (meaning "land of resplendence" in the language of Chile's native Mapuche Indians) guests can relax and savor firsthand Ruth's culinary creations, enjoyed with fine wines from Concha y Toro and other wineries from the region.