Edible Education: Teaching the Art of Simple Food

Culture | Food

The snow has melted, and in spite of continuing cold temperatures the sunlight is beginning the work of greening our landscapes. Gardening supplies are popping up in stores, and after a record-setting winter, the urge to plant and cultivate food is awakened. And just a few days after the vernal equinox, the world-renowned chef, author and activist Alice Waters, proprietor of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, and founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project (ESYP), arrives to inspire our efforts. For Ms. Waters, long considered the mother of American cuisine and the organic food movement, planting and cultivating one’s own food is the way to be “connected to the whole cycle of life.” In her newest book, The Art of Simple Food II: Recipes, Flavor, and Inspiration from the New Kitchen Garden, she exhorts us to “treasure the farmer, nurture the soil, plant wherever you are, learn from nature, cultivate your palate, make your own, eat whole foods, share the harvest, and teach children the art of simple food.”

Ms. Waters, a three-time James Beard award winner and an IACP Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, will appear on stage in conversation with ESYP Executive Director Katrina Heron. Ms. Waters will provide an overview of her personal story, describing what led her to this point in her career with Chez Panisse and with the ESYP and its national expansion. She will also focus on the contents of The Art of Simple Food II, discussing what is significant about planting and cooking from kitchen gardens.