Carol Vale was born in a small country town in Queensland. Carol grew up in a large family that had very little money for even the basic needs. During her childhood she spent many hours cooking for her family, that is where her love of cooking and experimenting with ingredients was born. Over the years of cooking for her family she learnt how to make the most out of what she had and to keep it simple. Although she has no professional qualifications as a chef, Carol has spent numerous years working in kitchens, firstly as a kitchen hand and eventually cooking. Carol has a simple, easy approach to cooking and enjoys making it fun. This is why her cookbooks centre on easy to follow and use recipes. Hence her motto "Keep it fun. Keep it simple"