Chef Alice Waters

Since the opening of Chez Panisse in 1971, Alice Waters has tirelessly advanced the need for a new vision for American cooking and agriculture. At the center of this is her belief in the transformative power of garden-centric food experiences: rooted in the seasons, delicious, and conscious of all that it takes to farm and garden sustainably. From founding the Edible Schoolyard program at Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, California, to inspiring First Lady Michelle Obama’s leadership on behalf of healthier school meals to her own restaurant menus and books (including Chez Panisse Vegetables), Ms. Waters has been an instrumental contributor in laying the foundation for much of the current movement towards plant-forward. 

Alice Waters is a chef, author, food activist, and the founder and owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, California. She has been a champion of local sustainable agriculture for over four decades. In 1995 she founded the Edible Schoolyard Project, which advocates for a free school lunch for all children and a sustainable food curriculum in every public school. She has been Vice President of Slow Food International since 2002. She conceived and helped create the Yale Sustainable Food Project in 2003, and the Rome Sustainable Food Project at the American Academy in Rome in 2007. Her honors include election as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2007; the Harvard Medical School’s Global Environmental Citizen Award, which she shared with Kofi Annan in 2008; and her induction into the French Legion of Honor in 2010. In 2015 she was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama, proving that eating is a political act, and that the table is a powerful means to social justice and positive change. Alice is the author of fifteen books, including New York Times bestsellers The Art of Simple Food I & II, The Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea.

What plant is most versatile to cook with?

I would have a very hard time naming one plant that is the most versatile. There are so many wonderful plants that can be used in a variety of ways. Our rule of thumb at the restaurant is that you go with what will bring out the flavor in the truest and simplest way. Less is always more. I chose a corn soup recipe because corn is a very versatile plant. It can be eaten fresh, cooked, gilled, sautéed, in soups, and of course, dried and ground into flour for masa. In Mexico, they even make delicious corn ice cream!

What would be your advice to a young and upcoming chef? How could they move towards plant-forward menu concepts?

I always knew that the relationships we made with the farmers would be the most important part of owning a restaurant. Valuing their work and their contribution has had the greatest impact in terms of the success of Chez Panisse. If you work directly with the farms and farmer’s, it becomes second nature to have a plant-forward menu because you are always working with ingredients that are fresh and organic and your menus will reflect this.
 
A great chef pays attention completely to the wholesomeness of food, which includes the procurement of sustainably grown ingredients. It is so important for chefs to feel responsible. They have the power to influence so many issues for the better – agriculture, economics, social justice, public health, and most importantly global warming. I know it is a huge responsibility and the ones who are doing it right deserve the highest honor.