Alice Waters

Alice Waters is one of the most influential figures of the culinary world, having created a movement to restore the link between the table and the source of the food. She is the founder and owner of Chez Panisse, one of the most renowned restaurants in the world. Her reputation as a culinary pioneer has been recognised with awards such as the National Humanities Medal, the French Legion of Honor, and the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants Lifetime Achievement Award.

Alice Waters was born in Chatham, New Jersey in 1944. She grew up with a love for food and cooking, and after studying French at the University of California, Berkeley she traveled to France with the intention of furthering her studies. However, it was there that she experienced the culture of the local gastronomy for the first time, and it shaped her view on food and cooking forever.

On her return, Waters opened a restaurant in Berkeley, which she named Chez Panisse, and from that moment, she began to revolutionise the culinary industry. Her concept was based on the simple idea of cooking and serving fresh and local ingredients, making them the hero of her restaurant and her cuisine. She put an emphasis on cooking with ingredients that are in season, as it all phases of the production, from producers to table. The practice of shopping in local farmers markets also became a hallmark of Chez Panisse, and her use of seasonal products made her restaurant a leader in the “slow food” movement.

In her book “Chez Panisse Vegetables”, Alice Waters details her approach to cooking with vegetables, a key element of her eatery. Drawing on her wealth of knowledge and experience, she provides advice on sourcing, selecting and cooking vegetables to a wide variety of dishes, from simple salads to soups, pastas and casseroles. This book includes over 250 recipes, all made using fresh, locally sourced vegetables.

Alice Waters has been widely recognized for her contribution to the culinary world. In 2011, President Obama awarded Waters with the National Humanities Medal, and in 2012 she was honored with France's Legion of Honor. She is also a member of Slow Food International and is the chair of the Edible Schoolyard, an organization devoted to providing meals to school children that are healthy and locally sourced. She lectures extensively on the importance of sustainable food sourcing and serves as a spokesperson for various food and environmental organizations.

Through her work Alice Waters has revolutionized the culinary industry, making fresh and seasonal ingredients the center piece of her cuisine. Her philosophy has influenced not only the way people eat at her restaurant but also the way people think about food in general. From opening Chez Panisse in 1971 to being honored with multiple awards, Alice Waters has changed the way the world looks at food and cooking.