Alice Waters Through the Years: Interview by Price-Pottenger

Alice Waters is a chef, author, and food activist, and founder of the renowned Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, CA. We are extremely pleased to share with you this interview and a selection of classic recipes from Chez Panisse.

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What types of food were you exposed to growing up?

I grew up in New Jersey in the 1950s, right at the dawn of what I call “fast food culture.” For children those days, it was all fish sticks and fruit cups. I was a picky eater as a child, and although my mother never really learned to cook, my parents planted a victory garden in our yard. I loved picking the vegetables with my sisters in the summer.

How did your first trip to France change your perspective on food?

It wasn’t until my first trip to Paris, my junior year of college, that I realized food was going to change my life. I tell the story often, but while I was in Paris, someone gave me a tiny strawberry grown in the French countryside, and I had never tasted anything like it before in my life. The beauty I experienced in that strawberry was transformative for me. France was truly a slow food nation then – they only ate food that was grown nearby and without pesticides. It was such a stark contrast to the fast food culture of my childhood in America.

Did the political activism of the 1960s affect your understanding of our food system?

The energy of that time permeated everything for me. Seeing what we were able to accomplish through activism, with the war in Vietnam, with civil rights, with free speech, made me believe that if we all worked together, we could really save the world. And I still believe it.

Why did you start Chez Panisse, and what made it different from other restaurants?

I just wanted a place to eat with my friends where I could recreate that experience I had in France. Something simple and beautiful. I loved the idea of a fixed menu because you would eat things you might not have ordered otherwise, and when everyone’s eating the same thing, you can have a wonderful shared sensory experience. I wanted Chez Panisse to feel like you’re eating at home with your friends.

What is the Slow Food movement, and have you seen changes in its focus over the past 30 years?

My dear friend Carlo Petrini, who founded the international Slow Food movement, wanted to change the world by focusing on what we all have in common—food. I share his belief that the way we’re going to transform the world and reverse climate change starts with how we feed ourselves and our communities. The focus has not changed, but I have certainly felt the urgency of this movement grow more and more intense as our planet is ravaged by greed, convenience culture, and unsustainable food procurement practices.

Would you tell us about the Edible Schoolyard Project?

I started the Edible Schoolyard Project because I know that beauty is the language of care, and that children deserve beauty in their lives. By preparing something beautiful and delicious for children, you can communicate to them that they matter. The curriculum is meant to help deepen their understanding of and relationship with food, facilitate learning the skills of cooking and gardening, build their capacity for critical examination of the food system, and develop their agency to effect change in their own lives and in their communities.

Why is it so important to include food education in the schools?

Everybody eats and everybody goes to school, so to me it just makes sense. It’s crucial that we teach our children the values they need to live on this planet together: nourishment, stewardship, and community.

The Edible Schoolyard Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the transformation of public education by using organic school gardens, kitchens, and cafeterias to teach both academic subjects and the values of nourishment, stewardship, and community.

Founded in 1995 by chef, author, and activist Alice Waters, the Edible Schoolyard Project began as an idea to transform the food experience at a public middle school in Berkeley, California. As the idea took shape, a coalition of educators, families, farmers, cooks, and artists joined the effort, working closely with students to create a flourishing garden and kitchen classroom.

Edible education provides hands-on experiences that connect students to food, nature, and each other; and it systematically addresses the crises of climate change, public health, and social inequality.

– edibleschoolyard.org

What is the significance of eating seasonally?

Eating seasonal food is the only way to taste food the way it’s supposed to taste – ripe and fresh. Chez Panisse was built around seasonality.

How can our food choices address our current environment and climate crises?

Of course, the way our food is produced drastically impacts our climate. It is critical that we address our food systems and mitigate the impacts of climate change before the converse is also true. It is also critical that we take care of our workers who care for the land that grows our food, and support small local farmers who grow food organically and regeneratively. Or plant your own garden!

How can people best incorporate organic and regenerative foods into their lives on a limited budget?

Grow your own food. Growing your own food is like printing your own money. You don’t even need a dirt patch – you can grow almost anything in a clay pot!

Do you have any plans that you would you like to let us know about?

Currently, I am working with the University of California, Davis to develop plans for an Institute for Regenerative Agriculture and Edible Education in Sacramento. I’m thrilled to partner with the UC system because I truly believe that in order to spark global change, our school food procurement systems are the best place to start. We want to create a model to help schools in California (and eventually around the world) to develop relationships with and buy food directly from local farmers and purveyors without the middle men; that will provide the tools needed for schools to provide students with food that’s diverse and affordable. I’ve been advocating for years for free, nutritious, organic lunches in all public schools, and that dream has now expanded to the Institute.

Photo of Alice Waters in the ESY kitchen with students by Amanda Marsalis.

Alice Waters is the author of numerous books, including We Are What We Eat: A Slow Food Manifesto (2021). Learn more about her work and the Edible Schoolyard Project at edibleschoolyard.org.

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Enjoy these classic and seasonal recipes from Alice Waters:

Baked Goat Cheese with Garden Lettuces

Pork Rib Roast with Rosemary and Sage

Fresh Shelling Beans

King Salmon in Fig Leaves

Pizza with Sweet and Spicy Peppers, Capers, and Fried Rosemary

Braised Duck Legs with Leeks and Green Olives

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Long-Cooked Broccoli