[judy]

I have just found aa American book called 'Women Chef's" by Jim Burns and Betty Ann Brown. Interesting portrayals of the 80's. The chefs are so filled with passion I wonder where they are now. pity such books didn't do a 20 year on addition
Does anyone know the book or chefs?

[Suzanne]

Don't know that book --who are the chefs?

From the way you've described it, you might also be interested in Women of Taste by Beverly Russell, published in 1997 by John Wiley -- so it might be available in Australia. Mostly Americans, some Canadians (33 in all). Many are well-known, at least by my standards, some are probably only known locally. It's an interesting book: interviews of the chefs, gorgeous photos of their food, and recipes.

Another very different book is "A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen" by Ann Cooper. Published in 1998 by Van Nostrand (Thomas Nelson Australia in South Melbourne). To research this book, she sent out long surveys to 6500 women chefs and cooks; got back 1000, and followed up with interviews of 130. She also did regular academic research in libraries and archives for historical background. Excellent book, covering a wide range of experiences, from students to such well-known chefs as Lidia Bastianich.

[Shimmer]

My boss belongs to a great national organization for women chefs and restaurant owners. I'm not exactly sure of the name, but she and severeal other female chefs were recently featured in a museum exhibit that combined cuisine with quilts (quilt artists sampled the cuisine from particular chefs, then created a quilt to go along with it), sponsored by this organization. The organization in turn donated money for girls and young women to be able to take classes, etc.

Kind of cool! Does anyone else know the organization I'm talking about?

~~Shimmer~~

[Suzanne]

Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, founded in the San Francisco area as "International Association of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs" in the mid-1990s by Lidia Bastianich, Elka Gilmore, Joyce Goldstein, Johanne Killeen, Barbara Lazaroff, Mary Sue Milliken, Anne Rosenzweig, and Barbara Tropp.

Current contact info:
WCR
304 West Liberty Street, Suite 201
Louisville, KY 40202
USA
Phone: 502-581-0300
Toll-Free: 877-927-7787
Fax: 502-589-3602
http://www.chefnet.com/wcr

A truly useful organization! There are some local groups* that organize occasional meetings/seminars (the Personal Chef thing I reported on was under their auspices); and there is an annual conference that now includes local tours, dine-arounds, master classes, panel discussions, plenaries, small group (sometimes one-on-one) roundtable discussions -- and lots and lots of food, drink, and networking! The next one will be in Cambridge, MA, November 16th - 18th, 2002. I so look forward to each year's conference -- such a shot in the arm! And you'd be surprised how friendly and helpful some of the biggest names can be!

*Shimmer: the one in Indianapolis has been coordinated most recently by Sue Schneider, of Kremer Foods.

Anyway, even if this is NOT the group you mean, it is a terrific organization.

[Shimmer]

That's the one! Hopefully someday I will be qualified enough to be a member (I'm thinking more of the restauranteur side- it's a dream that hasn't gone away).

I guess my point being, books are good, but if you can get connected to people who live the life in your area, they might very well prove to be an even better resource.

~~Shimmer~~