Experience

Here’s more information about my experience in the food world:

I’ve presented numerous culinary demonstrations on Lebanese culinary technique and culture, including for the Chicago Culinary Historians, the Chicago Tribune Printer’s Row Book Fair, and Chicago’s Green City Market.

I appeared on the PBS/WTTW special, “The Foods of Chicago: A Delicious History,” written by Daniel Protess and hosted by Geoffrey Baer, with some of my Lebanese recipes in the companion cookbook.

My recipes for Lebanese breads were also featured in A Baker’s Odyssey by the wonderful baker and author, Greg Patent.

I’ve attended the The Symposium for Professional Food Writers at The Greenbrier, and received the Symposium’s Greenbrier Scholarship in 2005. I’ll tell you about that experience sometime because the Greenbrier is a trip, and the Symposium is excellent. That same year I also was awarded first place for feature writing by the Association of Food Journalists.

Food writing has taken me to some exciting places to learn about food and wine, and to write ‘on retreat’–in Umbria, Italy and also Burgundy, France where our group stayed at Anne Willan’s beautiful Chateau du Fey.

I love talking with creative people, especially chefs and writers. I’ve published interviews with Lidia Bastianich, Peter Reinhart, Carrie Nahabedian, Ann Patchett, Franz Wright, Patricia Hampl, Alice McDermott, Thomas Lynch, Andre Dubus, Barry Lopez, and other fascinating people.

I’ve had some schooling too, at Saint Mary’s College (go Belles), Michigan State University, and Tante Marie’s Cooking School, for which I received a James Beard Foundation scholarship.