Michele Anna Jordan has been exploring and extolling the wonders of Wine Country (and especially Sonoma County) food and wine since long before it was recognized by the rest of the country as one of the great culinary treasure spots. Not only is she a great teacher but also has the ability to communicate recipes in a straightforward “I can do that” manner that has been an inspiration for cooks of all abilities. Her role as culinary historian for our part of the world is much appreciated and she, almost single-handedly, has made stars of our local growers, farmers, and producers. We’re so lucky she is here with us!

Chef John Ash, author and father of Wine Country Cuisine


Michele Anna Jordan’s comprehensive new website gathers together her passion for writing, home cooking and Sonoma County and augments her work for The Press Democrat, for which she currently writes two weekly columns; her radio show Mouthful, in its 21st year on KRCB-FM, and her books, more than 24 to date. This site reaches back into Michele’s earliest archives, when she was crafting lyrical narratives about all aspects of life for the Sonoma County Independent (now the North Bay Bohemian) and offers new content weekly, including the special feature “Today in Sonoma” and profiles of Sonoma County farms, farmers, and farmers markets.

Michele grew up in the North Bay and raised her children on a dairy farm in Lakeville, east of Petaluma. She has studied traditional Hawaiian dance and culture for more than a decade. Michele is currently at work on what she has long called her secret project, Echo: Autobiography of a Sentence, a nonfiction novel–memoir, if you prefer–that explores one thread of her early life, the one that lead to her Hawaiian studies.

Michele lives in Sebastopol, with her two long-haired dachshunds, Lark and Bobby, and one cat, Harlequin.


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