michele anna jordan • biography
Michele Anna Jordan, a second-generation Californian who has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area her entire life, brings a solid culinary background to her work. During her twelve years as a chef she received numerous awards, yet in the early 1990s, she shifted her professional focus to her first love, writing.
Jordan’s first book, A Cook’s Tour of Sonoma, enjoyed wide critical acclaim for its celebration of the agricultural bounty of Sonoma County. Published in 1990, the book was the first publication to acknowledge what the rest of the country has only recently come to realize, that Sonoma County is one of the richest, most diverse agricultural regions in the world. In 2000, Jordan published The New Cook’s Tour of Sonoma with 150 new recipes, an in-depth look at Sonoma viticulture, and an exploration of both the region’s history and future. In 2002, Jordan completed a series of short documentaries about Sonoma’s viticultural areas that air on PBS stations throughout the country.
Jordan’s writing, sometimes about food, sometimes not, is shaped by a distinct, lyrical voice. For ten years, “The Jaded Palate”, a first-person narrative, appeared weekly in Sonoma County newspapers. Currently, she writes three weekly columns for the The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, “Seasonal Pantry,” “Wine of the Week Food Pairing” and “Mouthful.” Jordan is a regular contributor to Savor magazine, which recently took a first place award from the Association of Food and Wine Journalists and has received numerous other awards since its launch in 2002. Jordan’s essays appear in anthologies, such as the Travelers’ Tales series and Saltwater Sweetwater, a collection of fiction and nonfiction by women writers from the north coast of California.
Jordan’s first five books were published by Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. When The Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes, one of four books in her Good Cook’s series, was released in the spring of 1995, the late Jim Wood of the San Francisco Examiner declared, it “easily one of the best food books I’ve seen in five years.” Her ninth book, California Home Cooking (Harvard Common Press), was voted Best Cookbook in the 1998 Small Press Awards.
In the fall of 1995, Jordan launched “Mouthful: The Wine County’s Most Delicious Hour” on KRCB-FM. Mouthful was a James Beard Broadcast Journalism Award nominee in 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2008. Jordan also hosts a music show, “Red Shoes Rodeo,” on alternate Friday nights.
In 1995, Jordan joined San Francisco Focus Magazine [now San Francisco Magazine] as restaurant critic and contributing editor. After the magazine sold, she became North Bay restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, a position she resigned in fall 2003. Jordan has written for numerous national publications, including Cooking Light, Wine Enthusiast, Kitchen Garden, Fine Cooking, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Asian Week, Appellation, Sky, Wine & Spirits, the Electronic Gourmet Guide, food.com, and au Juice, The Journal of Eatin’, Drinkin’, and Screwin’ Around.
Jordan’s piece “Serving Werner Herzog’s Shoe,” the cover story for the August 1996 issue of Focus received a 1997 James Beard Journalism Award for Magazine Feature Writing. The story documents the first 25 years of the famous Berkeley restaurant, Chez Panisse, with little-known facts, personal reminiscences, and infamous moments.
Jordan teaches and lectures on a variety of topics including salt, pepper, pasta, polenta, mustard, olive oil, California olive oil, writing, the farm-restaurant connection, and more, and is a frequent guest on radio and television around the country. In the fall of 1998, Jordan was a featured speaker at the annual Pepper and Spice Seminar in Kuching, capital of Sarawak, one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. In 2003, Jordan choreographed the production of The World’s Biggest BLT ©, a 106-foot-long sandwich. In 2007, Jordan beat her own record with a 130-foot-long BLT. In 2008, Jordan hopes to unveil a third sandwich, along with a documentary film and web site. www.worldsbiggestblt.com
Michele lives in western Sonoma County with her two black cats, Poe and Rosemary, three Apple computers and a 1954 Seeburg Select-o-matic-100 jukebox. In 2002, she returned to one of her first loves, dance. She now studies and occasionally performs traditional Hawaiian hula and is at work on several new books, including a literary memoir about love, loss and hula.
—Books
Travelers’ Tales: The World is a Kitchen. ed. O’Reilly, October, 2006.
A Sensual Tour: A Reader’s Bibliography to the Works of MFK Fisher. Orirana Press, Date Pending.
Veg Out! Gibbs Smith, Summer, 2004.
The BLT Cookbook. Morrow, Spring, 2003.
The New Cook’s Tour of Sonoma. Sasquatch Books, Fall, 2000.
Pasta Classics. Cooking Club of America, Fall, 2000.
The San Francisco Seafood Cookbook. Ten Speed Press, Fall, 2000.
Williams-Sonoma Complete Pasta Cookbook, Time-Life Books, Inc., 1999
Salt & Pepper, Broadway Books, Spring, 1999.
California Home Cooking. Harvard Common Press, 1997.
Polenta. Broadway Books, 1997.
Pasta with Sauces. Time-Life Books, Inc., 1996.
Ravioli & Lasagne. Time-Life Books, Inc., 1996.
The Good Cook's Book of Days: A Food Lover’s Journal. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1995.
The Good Cook's Book of Tomatoes. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1995.
The Good Cook's Book of Mustard. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1994.
The Good Cook's Book of Oil & Vinegar. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1992.
A Cook's Tour of Sonoma. Aris Books/Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1990
—Collections & Anthologies
Travelers’ Tales Provence. O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. , 2003.
Holiday Celebrations. Cooking Club of America, Fall, 2002.
It’s All About Dessert. Cooking Club of America, Spring, 2001.
Something New! The Ethnic Entertaining Cookbook. Cooking Club of America, Fall, 2001.
The Gift of Travel: The Best of Travelers’ Tales. O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. , 1998.
Saltwater, Sweetwater. Floreant Press, 1997.
Travelers’ Tales San Francisco. O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. , 1996
Travelers’ Tales Food. O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. , 1996.
Travelers’ Tales Paris. O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. , 1997.
Burns, Jim and Betty Ann Brown. Women Chefs A Collection of Portraits & Recipes from California’s Culinary Pioneers. Aris Books, 1987.
—Awards, Nominations, & Appointments
2008. James Beard Foundation: James Beard Media Awards for Radio; Nominee
2004. James Beard Foundation: James Beard Electronic Journalism for Radio; Nominee.
2003. James Beard Foundation: James Beard Electronic Journalism for Radio; Nominee.
2002. Friend of Sonoma County Agriculture Annual Award. Sonoma County Harvest Fair.
1998. Best Cookbook (California Home Cooking) Small Press Book Awards.
1998. Julia Child Cookbook Awards. American Regional Category for California Home Cooking. Nominee.
1998. James Beard Foundation: James Beard Electronic Journalism for Radio; Nominee.
1997. Academy of Wine Communications: Certificate of Commendation.
1997. James Beard Foundation: James Beard Journalism Award for Magazine Feature Writing.
1994. Sonoma State University: Distinguished Alumna, School of Humanities.
1993. Sadie Award of Excellence: The Good Cook's Book of Oil & Vinegar
1993. Yaddo/Fellow: Winter-Spring.
1993. Special Events Magazine: 2nd Place, Buffet Presentation, for Redwood Empire Architects Awards Dinner.
Commission on the Status of Women, Commissioner for the Fifth District, Sonoma County, 1992.
1992. Woman of Achievement Award for Culinary Arts: Santa Rose Junior College.
1991. Sadie Award of Merit: "The Jaded Palate" and "Recipe for Fall".
1990. Merit Scholarship: Beringer Vineyard's School for American Chefs with Madeleine Kamman.
1989. Outstanding Sonoma County Chef, Sonoma County Art Awards.
1985—1990. Sonoma County Harvest Fair Awards- Professional division: 7 “Best Use” Awards; 6 gold medals; 9 silver medals; 11 bronze medals
—Selected Appearances
Today, NBC TV, June 1, 2003.
“Perspectives,” KQED-FM.
“Food Nation with Bobby Flay,” TVFN, Spring, 2002.
Mollie Katzen’s Show, PBS, 2000.
Chef for Winemaker Dinner at the James Beard House, New York City, October, 2000
Forum with Michael Krasney, KQED, Fall 1999
B. Smith with Style, NBC, Fall 1999.
Weekend Edition, NPR, Summer, 1999
BAY CAFE, Bay TV, Spring 1999.
BAY TV Morning, June, 1999; July, 1999; February 1998.
KRCB-TV, Numeorus appearances as both guest and host, 1987-present.
TVFN, “Cooking Live” “Food News & Views”, several appearances, 1993-1998.
CNN, On the Menu, Several Appearances, 1995-1997.
Home Matters, Learning Channel, Spring 1998.
QVC, Restaurant Segment, Spring 1998.
California Heartland, PBS, several segments, Spring 1998.
KFTY, several cooking segments, 1993-1998.
Other appearances in local markets throughout the United States; tapes available on request.
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