Presented by
Anne Willan
Author, TV-host and proprietor of
La Varenne Cooking School, Burgundy, France

We’re not talking about the foods of our grandparents today; how about the dishes of our great, great grandparents–and long before them? Come join us as Anne Willan, one of the worlds most respected culinary authorities dishes out the joys and horrors of ancient recipes–how some work beautifully in a modern kitchen, while others, perhaps should be prepared solely for our enemies. We will taste samplings of potted salmon and chocolate cream flavored with lemon and rosemary, both recipes from the 1700s that are still palate pleasers. And we will view Ms. Willan’s powerpoint with colorful depictions of ancient recipes, some of which just don’t cut the mustard anymore. She will also recount the culture and the history surrounding the recipes, and talk about her own joyful research: “I’m living in another world right now, a world of wood-fired bread ovens, mortars and pestles, clockwork spits and warm milk from the cow.”

British born Anne Willan earned a master’s degree in economics from Cambridge University before following her love of cooking to study at Cordon Bleu in London and ultimately open La Varenne cooking school in Paris in 1975. The school is now located in her 17th century Chateau du Fey in Burgundy. Ms. Willan has written more than a dozen cookbooks which have been translated into more than 20 languages. She hosted the 26-part PBS “Look and Cook” series in the 1990s, and in 2000, Bon Appetit named her cooking teacher of the year. She has written for Gourmet, The Washington Post, and Travel and Leisure. She is a past president of the International Association of CulinaryProfessionals and is a founder and trustee of COPIA, (The American Center for Wine, Food and The Arts). An avid culinaryhistorian, Ms. Willan and her husband, economist Mark Cherniavsky have amassed a notworthy collection of antiquarian cookbooks.

Program hosted at Robert Morris College.