Joan Nathan,
Cookbook Author, Washington, D.C.
From Publisher’s Weekly: “What makes a particular dish or technique uniquely American? Nathan, perhaps best known for Jewish Cooking in America , and the author of seven additional cookbooks, eschews the notion that agribusiness and fast food have commandeered the American palate. Rather, she says the influence of immigrants from diverse areas of the world has, over the past 40 years, made American food fresh, spicy and rife with flavor. Similarly, she notes that the spices and ingredients available to American home cooks are far more varied than they’ve ever been, as are the options on restaurant menus. In homage to the chefs, farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs who create and contribute to American food culture, Nathan traveled the country and visited the people who help ensure that “the world’s food is now literally at our fingertips.” The book is part cookbook, part travelogue; readers will surely be intrigued by Nathan’s descriptions of a Cuban juice bar in Miami, the advent of Middle Eastern restaurants in Virginia and the Honolulu Fish Auction, where she provides fascinating food lore and a striking sense of place. Nathan covers every course, from Morning Glory Muffins for breakfast to main courses like Haitian Vegetable Stew and desserts such as Molten Chocolate Cake.”
Joan Nathan’s PBS series “Jewish Cooking in America with Joan Nathan” won the coveted Julia Child Award for Best Cookbook of the Year from the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 1995, as well as the James Beard Award for Food of the Americas. Joan Nathan, was guest curator for “Food Culture USA,” at the 2005 Smithsonian Folklife Festival held on the National Mall.
Program was hosted at Kendall College.